We Remember- 125th Games
by Sally the Lioness
Summary: The victors remember it all. The time when they were going through hell. The time when they emerged victorious. And now, it's time to test their knowledge, their skills and their determination- again. But they remember, and they will fight back for the 125th year.
1. Chapter 1

The moment he had been waiting for had arrived. No, he was not happy. And no, he feared the moment. However, it was inevitable and it would be better to face this problem head on. He crossed his legs and bit his lip, staring at the television in front of him. It was too big in his overly large house, something he could never get used to. He had come from a poor family; how could he even think of such a luxury?

He watched as President Verity Lucas walked to the podium. Verity was a man of forty only, too young to be in such a powerful position. However, his ruthlessness, his hunger and his dedication, along with his willingness to take drastic steps, had ensured that he get the chair. His brown hair was swept back and his blue eyes twinkled with a childish mischief. It would be hard for anyone to say that he was the same monster who could kill anyone in a blink of an eye.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he began in his soft, slow voice. "Today is the day I announce the twist in this year's Games. Firstly, I'd like to thank you all for being present and for your patience. It's your patience that makes Panem a strong nation.

"However, there are other factors too. The willingness and spirit that the Districts show, the courage of our children and our understanding with each other make us strong. I thank all the parents and the brave friends for supporting their beloved ones even as they fight in the arena. The event every year shows what human determination can do. They're all children but only one returns. One, who is willing to give one's best. Panem needs children like them. Brave. Strong. Intelligent. And yet they should know where they stand, what their position is.

"This year, we will honor their bravery. This year, we will relive our glorious moments after the wonderful event. This year, we will choose the representatives of the districts from the victors. One victor from one district. And this year, there will be two victors, the last male and the last female that are standing strong.

"This year we will test the valor, the skills and the intelligence of our young heroes and heroines. Please give them a big round of applause."

The man stared at the Television screen blankly. This couldn't be happening… He couldn't go back!

"NOOO!" Timothy Valiance screamed. He still remembered the time he had spent in the arena. Timothy had lost his left eye for the Capitol's entertainment. He wasn't ready to lose his dignity and life.

The man hurled the nearby vase at the television. The vase shattered, the screen shattered but Timothy kept screaming. He couldn't be Reaped. He had won his right to live. Nobody could take it from him. Nobody had the right to do this to him.

"There are others," he said, looking around, his right eye widening in fear and relief, "It may be one of the others."

But what comfort would that give him? Timothy felt disgusted at himself for feeling this way. There were many victors in Two. The newest victor, Amira… she didn't deserve to be back in the arena. Amira had gone insane as an aftereffect. No, if Amira would be Reaped, Timothy would volunteer. He had done his best to bring her back alive, his best to heal her. He was not going to lose her.

But for the rest of them, he wasn't going to volunteer for them. They could hold their own. Not Amira though, not her. And only for her, Timothy was willing to sacrifice himself.


	2. Chapter 2

**Reapings**

* * *

 **Passion Hart (24) D1M**

Why was it that, despite everything, we all had to undergo the same experience? Again? Did we not face enough trauma already? I had tried so hard to dissuade young people from joining the academy for the purpose of volunteering. However, my words fell on deaf ears. A part of me was certain that it was because of my own rebellious nature that we were in such a fix. Of course, I wasn't the only rebellious victor but it was unheard of that a person from One would be so dispassionate about the Games.

Right now, we were all gathered at Kenneth's place. Our homes were luxurious, but Ken had managed to make his similar to a dumpster and I couldn't blame him. He was a drunkard and a nymphomaniac, and what surprised me was his self control, for he had never touched anybody inappropriately in his life despite his condition.

"What will happen?" Esmeralda asked nervously. She was much younger than most of us, and the newest victor from One. And she was rightfully scared.

"Whoever goes in," I said, leaning back in my chair and taking a swig from the bottle of whisky, "Is going to win. We're trained, and we won due to sheer hard work."

The others nodded, although none of us believed it. We all cursed the day we volunteered, desperate for some ardent glory. How trifle it sounded. How stupid!

In fact, we Careers deserved such lives for our foolishness. Why did we agree to kill innocent children? Honour and glory... They were not reasons good enough.

"Who has the greatest chance of being reaped?" Ken asked, voicing what was in every mind.

"Me," I whispered, knowing it to be true. I was the rebellious one after all, the guy who had refused to kill in his Games. And then I had been threatened in a note, that everyone I loved will be punished. Oh, how subtly that message was put! I had no choice but to kill after that, but even then I had committed only two murders, which was far lesser than most of the people present in this room.

"I think we should go," Elsa said heavily. There were tears in her eyes, which threatened to fall. I wanted to join her, put my arm around her shoulders and comfort her.

"Do I look, do I look good enough? " Esmeralda asked nervously.

"You always do," I said with a smile. It was true. She was the most beautiful person there.

"Passion, at least brush your hair," Elsa chided as she yanked a bottle from Ken's hands. He grumbled but didn't protest, proceeding to stare at Esmeralda with longing in his eyes. I feared him sometimes. What if he lost control some day and... No, better not think about that.

Rolling my eyes at Elsa, I ran my hand through my raven black hair and tied them in a ponytail. My hair fell to my shoulders, and since I had such feminine features, some people thought I was a girl when they looked at me from behind. I wasn't very tall and had long eyelashes. My blue eyes were huge, I had high cheekbones and a very slender figure. In no words could I be described as manly.

We all stood up, Ken swaying a little on his feet. I put my arm around Esmeralda and way out. The others followed silently. My friend leaned against my shoulder, maybe hoping for some comfort.

"It'll be alright," I told her and kissed her on the forehead. She gripped my hand tighter. Her palms were clammy and she was trembling. Or were those my hands that were shaking in fear? Together we walked towards the Square. A small crowd had gathered there. Young men and women looked at us with grudging administration and envy. We had stolen their glory.

We took our seats in the front row, looking up at the escort who was waiting for us to arrive. Esmeralda's hand was cold now and I rubbed it hard, trying to assure her of my presence.

"District One, you all know the twist for the Quarter Quell. Only one tribute will be Reaped from among the victors. One of our heroes will get to represent you again, and I wish them luck from the bottom of my heart.

"The victor who has been chosen is Esmeralda What."

And at that moment I knew why she was Reaped. It had been rigged. They knew that if I was Reaped, Esmeralda would volunteer. And they also knew that of she should be Reaped, I would readily take her place.

Just as I had thought, she was sad but looked relieved at the same time. She was about to stand up but I raised my hand.

"I volunteer," I said.

The other victors gaped at me, unable to believe that I could be so stupid. Esmeralda was in tears now. I gave her a hug and then moved onto the stage. Shaking hands with Aurora, I smiled at her and at the crowd that was cheering.

"District One, your representative: PASSION HART!"

* * *

 **Charlie Leah Edison (18) D5F**

"I'm not coming out!" I screamed at her.

"Charlie please! You'll have to!" mum said, her voice straining from the effort of keeping control over her emotions. Did she think I was blind? Deaf? A fool?! She couldn't trick me into thinking that the worst couldn't happen because it was going to.

There were only three victors in Five. I was the only girl. What chance was that I wouldn't be Reaped? No, it was better to stay put. I'd, I'd say later on that somebody hit me on the head and I collapsed and so couldn't make it to the Square in time for the Reapings.

Who was I trying to kid?

"Charlie, please open the door," mum said, her voice finally breaking. I stood up with a jolt. She was crying, crying! She didn't cry even when I was Reaped! Not when I returned alive, with three murders to my... Credit, as the Capitolites would say. She was crying...

I opened the door just a bit and was horrified by what I saw. Mum was on the floor, leaning against the wall, crying in her hands, her shoulders shaking. I tried to recall when she had cried last. Never in my life time at least.

"Mum?" I whispered as I put my hand gingerly on her shoulder. She grabbed it and hugged me tightly, crying into my shoulder.

"You'll have to go Charlie!" she sobbed, "There's no way we can avoid this! You'll have to Charlie, you'll have to!"

"I know," I replied softly. It was true. I knew I'd have to give up finally. Throwing tantrums, crying in your bed, tossing things... These were good enough to ease the pain but not enough to remove the cause itself. There was no avoiding fate.

"I'll- I'll go get ready," I whispered and stood up. She looked up at me with her large eyes, and I felt horrible for throwing tantrums earlier as well as anger at her for breaking down when I was most likely about to die. I didn't say anything at that, and simply walked back into my room to get ready.

There was a chocolate brown colour knee length dress on the bed, sprawled there as if looking at me expectantly. It did go well with my blond hair and tanned skin, but I still didn't want to wear it. A Capitol designer had made this for me, and it brought truly bad memories with it.

I didn't want to think about my previous Games, especially not now. But I just couldn't help it.

Soon the tears were falling. I remembered having stabbed Ashlin so many times. How fast her heart was beating, how she screamed and how she went limp. Because of me. All because of me.

I didn't know when I fell on my knees, or when I started crying just like mum had been, but now that I had started there was no stopping it. I didn't want to face it again. Never! Could I bring myself to kill more people?!

 _Yes, I could._

And that's what scared me. I could kill other people again, only to survive. Why was I so selfish? Why did I not value the lives of other victors? Victors... Some of them were my friends. At least I knew them. How would I manage?

"Honey, are you ready?"

No, no I wasn't. I wasn't ever going to be ready. And I didn't want to wear this dress, not this dress that was prepared by them.

I put it on anyway.

Why should I show how much I hated the Capitol? After all, in the very likely event of me getting Reaped, those were the people who could help me out.

When I arrived at the Square, I was met by grim faces. The crowd looked relieved, sympathetic and angry at the same time. Well, I was happy for them at least. The eighteen year olds were lucky. They were truly safe.

Or how safe one could be with the Capitol around.

I took my seat in between Thomas and Plank, both their faces white, both of them hoping that they weren't the one chosen. I was so engrossed in studying their behaviour that I didn't even listen to our escort's speech. She was new, I didn't know her. She knew how to dress like a true Capitolite though, and it was not a compliment.

"... Is Charlie Edison!"

"Hell no!" I screamed. I had already expected this, so why was I shocked? Why was I on the verge of crying? I had expected it after all...

"Miss Edison?"

"Yeah I mean, I'm coming," I said with a weak smile. A fake smile. I was going to die, I was going to die...

My movements were almost automatic. Onto the stage, shaking hands with the escort and then just stare at the mass of people. Why not Thomas? Plank? I was younger; I deserved to live! This wasn't fair, this was just not fair!

I opened my mouth to say something, but no words came out.

"District Five, your representative in this year's Games: Charlie Leah Edison!"

* * *

 **Guys, this is the first Reapings! I love both these tributes so much! So, what do you think of Passion? Of Charlie? Who do you like better? Who do you think has a better chance?**

 **Please read and review. I appreciate all the feedback for I'm new to this. :)**

 **And can anyone guess which POV was written by me and which was written by Reader? ;)**

 **See you soon!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Reapings**

* * *

 **Lakely "Lake" Holt (19) D4F**

The smell of the stew wafted throughout the room. It felt so normal, cooking. Of course, cooking had been a vital part of my plan during my Games, but I genuinely liked it. As I stirred it, humming a tune, my fellow victor Fonta appeared at my shoulder. He had a way of creeping up on people, which was almost funny.

"Good morning Fonta," I said, "You'll be staying for breakfast, right?"

"Well," he said, pretending as if he was thinking, "Let's see. Maybe I will if there's no sedative in this."

I laughed as I turned to face him finally. He had an easy smile on his face and his eyes twinkled just like always. When I had returned as a victor, he had accepted me most easily. We were good friends, good enough for him to dine at my place seven days a week. And a week had only seven days.

"I have," I said with a grin, "Because I have no other job to do but try to sedate you."

"Dang it lady," he said as he sat down, "I'm hot. Maybe you want me to marry you but you know how young you are and that I will certainly refuse. So this is what you will resort to?"

"Sorry dear, but I don't have a thing for men much older than me."

With that I went back to my cooking, and he just sat there, rocking back and forth, singing a soft, romantic tune under his breath. He had a fondness for stew and sandwiches, which were both ready soon, and then he dug in as if he hadn't eaten in days. I laughed.

"O cur owf!" he said, his mouth full and I laughed again.

"Wish I could take a picture of you right now."

He gulped down the food and then looked at me with an annoyed smile.

"Seriously, Lake?"

"Yep."

He shrugged and then went back to stuffing his mouth. I smiled. And then he looked up at me with an intensity I hadn't expected it. He set down his spoon and in aa second the food was forgotten.

"Lake…"

I knew why he was worried. Who wouldn't be? Nobody wanted to face death. Nobody wanted to kill again.

"Don't worry," I told him reassuringly, "You won't be back there."

He looked up at me sharply, knowing what I was thinking. He was about to present an argument but I beat him to it.

"Fonta… you know what my image is like in the District," I said evenly, "I-I need to redeem that."

"Like this?!" he yelled, jumping to his feet. I knew he would react that way. He cared too much for me. But he had to understand.

"Yes Fonta, like this," I replied. Although my voice was even, the sadness was still there. I didn't want to kill. It was wrong. I knew it was wrong. But was there any choice? If not me then Fonta or somebody else. One of us had to go in there. It would be better for me to go in. I could win. I was young, and I was willing. Yes, I was willing to do such a hideous thing again in order to win. After all, victory was important. Most important, in fact.

"Don't do this Lake…" he whispered, his voice strained. I brushed his hand lightly.

It was good to know that somebody cared.

"Don't worry," I replied, "I'll return victorious."

And I totally planned on it.

Of course, I had to devise a new strategy. Last time, two years ago, I had sort of blended into the background. I used to cook for the Careers, adding a pint of sedative every time, until one day the fight I had been fearing and anticipating came. It was my good luck that I had mixed a large dose of it that day, because they were all on each other's throats while I just stayed away from them till they had murdered each other, or had collapsed. I had killed the rest then. It had been easy to take out the Outers. Quite easy, actually.

My strategy didn't do my image any favors though.

I wasn't welcomed back as a hero who had brought her District glory by her victory. I never received the respect the other victors did.

I had to earn that. I had to prove that I was the best. I _believed_ I was the best. Besides, although it was not a major reason, I was certain that none of the other victors were willing to go back in there.

"I'll come in a sec," I told Fonta, who was staring at me as if I was from Outer Space. I smiled at him and gave his hand a squeeze, wanting to let him know that he didn't have to worry.

Walking inside my room, I started to get ready. I tied my long brown hair in a bun for a more formal appearance. I was tanned and had sea-blue eyes, like most people in the District. My green gown went well with my appearance and I put on a pearl necklace. There. Done.

When I went back to the kitchen, I saw Fonta still sitting where he was, not having eaten anything more. I marched up to him, grabbed the bowl and commanded him to open his mouth so that I could spoon-feed him.

"What?" he asked in disbelief.

"Well," I said, "Do I have to narrate fairy tales to you to get you to eat? I don't really mind that, you're like a cute child after all."

His face went red at that, and he yanked the bowl from my hands and continued with his breakfast. I laughed and ruffled his messy hair.

The walk to the Square… I wish it had been peaceful. There had been people staring at me, pointing at me, and Fonta angrily told off a few of them. I never got quite used to it. What did I do that they had to talk nonsense about me whenever they saw me? I had returned home a winner, and they still didn't treat me as such.

Soon they would though.

Fonta and I took seats with the other victors in Four. There were six of us there. I saw them fidgeting in their seats, telling words of comfort to each other. None of them had to worry. It would be okay for them.

"…District Four, your brave tribute this year is Fonta Leddia!"

I saw Fonta gulp as he stood up. He shot me a look, as if telling me to not continue with what I was planning. Sorry friend, but I had to.

"I volunteer," I said and got up. My friend stared at me, sadness in his eyes. I smiled at him and then walked towards Bubble. She beamed at me and threw her arm around my shoulder.

"That's the spirit! That's the spirit! Oh Lakely, we're all so proud of you!"

I stared into the face of the masses. They looked shocked. Some looked angry. My fellow victors looked sad. It didn't matter.

All of them would be smiling and cheering me when I would return.

* * *

 **Oxen Bamby (46) D10M**

 _I was standing alone, two maces in hand, surveying the area around me. The forest was pitch black, dark and intimidating. What was darker was my soul. The maces were coated in blood; blood of innocent children whom I killed mercilessly. But I stood, tall and rigid, waiting, knowing they were coming, knowing there was no escape._

 _There was a horse prowling nearby. It didn't approach me though. No, it wouldn't. It knew we were close. It knew everything was about to end. I spared it a sideways glance, finding its moist eyes staring at me from its skeletal structure. For the horse was only bones, and no flesh. The living eyes was what made it all the more terrifying. But it kept its distance. It knew they were coming._

 _The cornucopia was tall and dark, standing erect in a majestic way as if daring us to challenge it. there was no need. No need at all._

 _Thanks to my night vision goggles, I saw her coming. A tiny girl, maybe thirteen or fourteen. She looked much younger, and it had been after many years that a child from Six had made it this far. Had the situation been different, I would have hoped she would survive. But not now. No, not now._

 _As soon as she came into vision, I raised my mace. She realised too late that she had run into me, it was almost impossible to look anywhere in this dark, and before she could even scream she was dead. The sound of the cannon was loud, and scary. I gulped, feeling horrible about what I had done._

 _But I had no time for it._

 _I saw that a boy had taken down another boy, accounting for one more death. The murderer started running towards the cornucopia, unaware that I was there. He didn't have the goggles too; he couldn't see where he was going. I guessed he might know what direction it was in though, and soon he had run into me._

 _We stared at each for a second too long. Final Two. We were in the final two. I sensed his fear just as he took a step back. I knew he was about to run. He would want to delay his end. It would only be worse for him though, and without hesitation I started choking him with my mace. He struggled to breathe, tried to plead but I couldn't stop. I had to live. I wanted to live._

 _And then the cannon sounded._

 _I was on my knees now. I had done it. I did it. I was alive. I was going to live._

 _And just then a black void engulfed me. the arena, the bodies, the skeleton horse… they all disappeared. I was the only one who remained, surrounded in darkness. It was coming closer. It was coming closer. I was coming closer…_

"NO!"

"Oxen! Oxen! Oxen wake up!"

"No- no! I can't-"

"WAKE UP!"

My eyes shot open. There was no arena, no darkness, nothing. My wife, Cassandry, was looking at me anxiously and Darryn, my son, came running into the room.

"Dad?" he asked.

"I'm fine."

The two looked at me uncertainly. Darryn sat down next to me. Cassandry squeezed my hand.

"Was it the arena? Or the-the void?"

"Both," I replied curtly.

I had been having the nightmares ever since I won in my year. I was huge, standing at six feet seven, and was the largest tribute in several years. Since I was from a poor family and had to work day and night on the ranches, I was very strong and fit. And people were scared of me due to sheer size of me. I had murdered nine children. Nine innocent children. I couldn't forget that to this day.

But what scared me more was the darkness.

It had been so dark in the arena… I couldn't get past it. Sometimes I felt embarrassed that I was scared of the dark but that was something I couldn't change. It was hard thinking that there was something that I couldn't help.

"It will be okay," Darryn said kindly, but his eyes betrayed the fear he felt. I was sure my son had not slept during the night. There were dark circles under his eyes and he looked more tired than he ever did. I wished I could say something to comfort him, but the truth was that I had a very good chance of being Reaped today. Cassandry understood that too and she squeezed my hand again. I just nodded.

"Darryn, can you arrange the breakfast, son?" she asked.

He took the cue to leave so he nodded and headed out. He paused at the doorway and looked back. It seemed as if he wanted to say something but then he shook his head slightly and walked out.

"What are the odds?" Cassandry asked. She tried to hide her nervousness but failed at it. Miserably.

"Even," I replied. There was nothing more to say. I didn't like to talk much anyway. What was there in talking? It was, in fact, good to be silent. At least the Capitol had left us alone. There had never been too much glamour for me, and I preferred it that way.

The time was drawing nearer. I honestly didn't want to be Reaped. I could kill again if I had to, survival was of utmost importance, but I had a family. A family that needed me. I didn't want to leave them alone.

"Dad…"

Darryn looked at me through his green eyes which he had inherited from me. he had inherited many of his features from me, whether it be the olive skin, the broad shoulders or the black hair. Looking at him, my only comfort was that my son hadn't been chosen when he could have been. I smiled at him.

"Don't worry," I told him, and if it was possible, he looked even more worried than before. I gave him a pat on the shoulder. He smiled at me weakly, just for the sake of it, and together we stood up. Cassandry joined us, and the three of us started towards the Square in grim silence. She didn't let go of my hand, and I didn't leave hers.

It seemed as if the very sky was on the verge of tears. The grey clouds hung overhead, threatening to spill their contents on the earth to mourn the injustice that was about to happen. My family had to let go finally. Cassandry didn't want to. Darryn was trembling slightly but they had to stay strong.

I took my seat with the other victors. I nodded at Russell and Shepard. Grace looked the worst. She was eighty something, and if she was Reaped, I knew she would be a bloodbath. I saw Janice, her hand shaking just a bit. She was our newest victor and it was understandable that she was scared.

Our escort was talking, but none of us paid him any attention. He knew it as well, but that didn't stop him. He gave us a sad smile at the end of his speech and the others clapped politely. I didn't. there was nothing to applaud him for.

"And our representative, District Ten, our representative for this year is Oxen Bamby."

There, just as I had feared. I wanted to look back at my family but resisted it. It wouldn't do me any good. The other victors looked relieved. The crowd looked relieved too. even Romulus, our escort, seemed to be glad that it was me, and not someone else.

I knew why it was so.

These people expected me to be as ruthless as I had been the first time. They expected me to return alive. They had hope for me.

I didn't plan on disappointing them.

* * *

 **Hello people! Reader here. I am happy to announce that the spots have been filled. I know, some of you didn't get in, and I apologise for that, but it was only because there were no spots left.**

 **Anyway, these two tributes were fun. In fact, we got a little too carried away writing them. I think I might have messed up Oxen, he was a little hard to write, but I loved writing him and I hope to so later too. I hope you're not mad at me for messing him up. And Lake is a good character too, and I am eager to work with them both in the future.**

 **So, what are your thoughts on the tributes? Who did you prefer? Please let us know your opinion. Thanks a lot.**

 **Have a good day. :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Reapings**

* * *

 **Ceira Keiper (28) D2F**

The trainees at the Academy were not pleased. Especially the eighteen-year-olds. The young men and women just sulked, not wanting to train anymore. One daring girl even chucked her sword aside and kicked at the nearby table, making everything topple down.

"Calm down, Clarice," I said as I watched the commotion. Clarice gave me a 'are you serious?' look. I nodded.

"I was chosen!" she wailed, "I was chosen! And yet, and yet- everything has been in vain!"

"Knowledge is never useless," I said, "You can be happy that you get to stay alive."

"I don't care about that," she said haughtily, "What good is one when they just live and don't do anything? Just existing, duh. Man, I _wish_ I was going in there!"

I rolled my eyes. This girl always managed to annoy me. sure, she was the best at the Academy, but I honestly didn't like her. I had tried so hard to warn all these fools about the plight of the victors, the trauma we had to go through, the humiliation. But they didn't want to hear. They weren't interested. It was as if their minds had been brainwashed. Of course, I could relate to that. I had been taught by my parents that competing in the Games was my destiny, and the reason I was born. They wouldn't hear no for an answer, because my elder sister had refused.

"Do or die trying," they said.

I was a naïve kid, having high regard for their judgement and wishes, and I didn't do much other than train. I had little idea what I was training for. It was as if I had no conscience.

None of which was the case.

The Games were brutal. I had one kill in the bloodbath, a girl from Six, and that had been life-changing. I was grateful that I had my alliance, or I might have felt too guilty. We hunted tributes, when my District Partner died, and I knew I had to leave the alliance. During the feast I had teamed up with the boy from one, Thiberios. In the final two, it was just him and me. We fought long and hard, I lost an ear, he lost an eye, but ultimately I was the one who managed to win.

Was I happy?

No, I wasn't. His death had stirred something in me. Victory seemed fruitless; the number of people I had killed gave me nightmares for days. Even now, after ten years, I dreamed about Thiberios. I dreamed that he came back to get me. I dreamed that his hands were around my neck, choking me. Many-a-times, I woke up drenched in cold sweat in the middle of the night.

The feeling of self-hatred, the guilt, the trauma, the fear- none of it was worth the victory. None of it. Sure, they operated on me so that I had my ear back, but I didn't want it. I wanted a reminder of my pain, and all that I suffered, all the horrible things I did.

Clarice's wailing brought me back to the Academy. She was throwing a tantrum now, complaining about how desperately she wanted to represent our District, and how unfair it was that the victors would get another chance at being the hero. I wanted to tell her to shut up, but arguing wasn't going to be worth it so I simply walked out of the doors. I should be getting ready anyway, it was time for the Reapings.

No, there was nothing to get 'ready' for. My Academy outfit was more than enough. I didn't like being all fancy or wearing makeup. That was for the time when I was in the Capitol. I was tall, around five feet eight, and had some muscle. I was glad about that. My long wavy brown hair was tied in a ponytail; my eyes were as gray as the sky above. My daughter had inherited my eyes and my pale skin.

"Mommy!"

My little six-year-old princess came running towards me, her arms outstretched. My dark mood lightened immediately, and I lifted her in my arms, giving her a hug. She was the sole reason of joy in my life; without her I didn't know what I would do. But I couldn't tell her what I was or who her father was.

When I had returned to the Capitol as the victor, they wasted no time in telling me what I had to do. There was really no choice but to sell myself. I wouldn't choose my dignity and honor over the lives of my loved ones. And so began the most torturous time of my life. There was nothing for me to help me cope except for alcohol and more alcohol. It happened again, and again, and again, till one day a client knocked me up.

My daughter was born in Two. It was a horrible time, and I left her with my sister. The pain, the suffering was too much, and I whiled away my time drinking and sleeping with random strangers. It was only a few years ago that I decided that I wanted to become a better person for my daughter. I wanted to know her better.

It wasn't easy. Leaving alcohol was hard. In fact, it was the hardest thing I had done. The Academy gladly accepted me back as a trainer, and for three years now I had been training kids for what to expect. Training, I agreed with. Volunteering, that was a problem.

"Hey, you don't mind looking after her while I'm gone, right?"

"Of course not," my sister said with a weak smile, "But I think I should accompany you."

"No, there's no need. Just look after her."

"Where are you going mommy?"

"Uh, some important work dear. Promise I'll be back soon."

"Okie!"

It was hard to leave her, and I really wanted to carry her with me. But it was the right thing to do, so saying goodbye, I left for the Square. It was not too far away. Most of the victors had already arrived. I took my seat next to Amira, who was fiddling with her skirt.

A sense of dread and terror filled me as I looked up at the escort. How excited she looked! I wondered if she would look half as excited if it was her over here, in our place. That jerk!

"And our representative is…"

The pause felt like hours. I wanted to throw the chair in her face now.

"Ceira Keiper!"

Why was I not surprised? After all they had done to me, they would surely not miss on the chance, would they? I didn't think I had ever felt this angry before in my life. Who did they think they were?! How dare they separate me from my daughter?! All I wanted to o now was to blow the Capitol, and snap this escort's neck. But my life depended on my actions now, and so did Taissa's. There was no way I was going to let that happen.

So, when I was on the stage, I thanked the escort and smile at everyone. I never thought I'd have to pretend to this extent, but I had to. I just wished they couldn't see my insecurities or anger.

"District two, give it up for Ceira Keiper!"

* * *

 **Jake "Jackdaw" Dasby (32) D9M**

I remembered the time when my lone house was attacked. There were four bears who had ransacked my home when I was absent. Of course, if my parents hadn't fled when I was eight, leaving me alone with my suicidal brother, none of it would have happened. My brother was successful in taking his own life, leaving me all alone in the world.

Then one day, when i was a mere boy, four bears attacked my house. I didn't know how i managed it, but I just _did._ Killing four adult bears was no easy task but I did it. Something changed in me then. No longer was I an innocent boy trying to just live somehow. I was dangerous, a liar, a thief. The surprising thing was that _everybody_ knew it but they could do nothing. I always felt that my Reaping was rigged but it didn't matter. I won. Life was normal. I stole stuff, blackmailed people for riches and honestly enjoyed it. After all it wasn't a kind world. Anyway, everything was fine.

Until...

... The announcement.

I remembered the day the bears attacked. Something had happened to me that day. For some reason, the thought that it was highly probable that I could re-enter the arena was acting like a... trigger. A part of me was excited. After all, the games, although highly injurous, had been fun. One might think I was going insane, or that perhaps, I was afraid. But the thing was that I _missed_ the thrill of the Games. I recalled my own year, the hundred and tenth Games. My ally was a strong boy from Four, who was foolish enough to not ally with the Careers. Ah, he was a joy. He hunted food, he kept watch and he played right into my finger. He didn't even raise any objection when I suggested an attack on the Career alliance, even when there were two of us and four of them still left. As soon as the fight began, I fled. After all, that's what my parents taught me, right?

Whoever was left alive after that faced my venom, until nobody stood in my path. Ah, the joy! The thrill! The satisfaction of emerging victorious in a death-match! I missed it.

"Close the gates Ceres! It's the Jackdaw!"

I tilted my head slightly towards the house on my left. There was an old man running towards the door. A little girl closed it and then started shutting the windows as quickly as she could. It was funny how the people here reacted whenever I passed by. 'Jackdaw' they called me, and rightfully so. After all, nobody's belongings were safe when I was around.

On that note, little Ceres had forgotten to close one window. Ambling over to the little opening, I peeped inside carefully. They were not very rich, it seemed, but they had a mirror. A prized possession, I daresay. It was small, and had beautiful carvings on the arched wood. My hand went in, grasped it, and came out. There. I had acquired a mirror, of which I had no use. That's what made it all the more better.

Dauntingly tall, grey eyes, thick black hair, pale skin. That was me. And of course, no stubble. Somehow my appearance made me look even more... creepy. Checking my appearance, I resumed my lone walk towards the Square. The children looked relieved today. They were spared. What more could they ask for?

Everywhere, people were locking their front doors. Did they not see that simple locks were not enough to keep me out? If I didn't have an appointment with destiny right now, I would have showed them how it worked.

"Why do we need to lock everything, grandpa?" a naive boy asked an old man as he fumbled with the keys. The boy wasn't that young, seventeen I should say. Shame, he should know why they were all locking their doors.

"He's here," the old man whispered, a little too audibly. Maybe he was so old that he didn't realise that everyone could hear him whispering. Putting on my best smile, I walked towards them.

"Isn't it a pleasant day?" I said, making the old man tremble visibly. He had nothing to be afraid of for some time.

"Yeah it is," the grandson replied, "But I don't know how pleasant it will be for you."

"My dear," I said softly, edging closer to the boy. The foolhardy kid refused to step back or even blink. "The day is going to be extremely pleasant for me. Wish me luck."

His eyes widened now, and he stepped back just a bit. There was disbelief in his eyes and he opened his mouth to speak, but I simply walked past him, ignoring his soft mutterings. Ah, it was nice to see the tough youngsters when they were surprised. This whole District was going to be surprised.

Upon arriving at the Square, I saw that Heather was already seated. He was an old man of seventy eight, and I didn't even remember which Games he had won. I nodded at him as I sat down beside him.

"And your representative this year, our hero, is Heather Banks!"

The old man stood up shakily. I saw the tears in his glassy eyes, his wife and children gasped. The old woman swooned and fell into her son's arms. this was my chance to shine.

"I volunteer as tribute."

Every head turned towards me. Heather couldn't take his eyes off me, even as I patted him gently and helped him back in his seat. The escort, i forgot her name, was staring at me too.

"W-why?!" she asked. Realising her mistake, she composed herself, "It's wonderful to have a volunteer! But may I know the reason?"

"I see this as an opportunity to turn over a new leaf. Heather is old, and although we all love him, he didn't have a chance. I had to do it. I had to do something good."

"Beautiful. Beautiful! This is the spirit guys! Give it up for our beloved Jake Dasby!"

Ha! These people actually fell for it. Protect an old man, my foot! It was only to get an opportunity, a _legal_ opportunity, to make some kills.

* * *

 **Hi guys! I know this is super late, but Reader wasn't available and so the wait. We ain't gonna give up for sure!**

 **Now let us know what you think of these two. I hope you enjoyed! I certainly enjoyed these characters, haha.**

 **Have a lovely day! :D**


	5. Chapter 5

**Reapings**

* * *

 **Rajan "The Reaver" Khan (34) D3M**

There were so many people around, a crowded pub as it was, but fortunately for me, nobody tried to come close. At least there was some peace here, away from human beings, away from the Peacekeepers.

I had an appointment today with a young lady, as I suspected she could answer my questions. Usually, it was not in my nature to talk much, and especially not to initiate a conversation, but after meeting so many people from my heritage, and learning so much about my origins, I had to learn more. I was curious, and I had to satisfy it.

My parents could tell me, of course, but they themselves weren't knowledgeable in this matter. And my father… ever since he joined the peacekeeping force, I was done with him. As a child I had witnessed too much violence that they bestowed on us, especially since we looked so different from the rest.

After returning from the arena, I had lost my gang and was alone now. No, I wasn't a criminal. But i had joined a gang in order to show my father how wrong he was. I organised rebellions. And I sent them everywhere to find more information about my heritage. Now though, I had to do it all alone.

The door of the pub opened and a young woman walked in nervously. She was even more nervous when she saw that the pub was full of men. However, her dark eyes caught sight of me and she hurried forward, taking a seat beside me.

"Hello."

"Hi," she said nervously, glancing around as the men stared at her. I followed her gaze, and glared at one particular man who was staring for far longer than he should, and then he turned away.

"You know why we are here."

"Yes," she replied, her dark hair falling down to her mid-back. Her large eyes settled on me and she nodded.

"However, Rajan," she said, "It'll be better not to dig around for this information so much. it's considered a rebellious act, wanting to enquire about a country other than Panem."

"I have to know, Ira. It's my need."

She sighed and then looked at me again.

"I couldn't believe when I first got your message. That there is another… and that too who lives so close. But I'm glad I got to meet you."

"Same, Ira, I'm glad to meet you too. There are many others, as I told you before."

"Yes, yes you did."

We looked quite similar; we had tanned skin, dark eyes that were large, black hair, average built.

"You know it is almost fourteen thousand kilometres away from here. Long time ago, before Panem was formed, India was the second most populous country in the world. There were too many races living there, and a large number of religions was followed."

"Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Jainism, Buddhism and Sikhism."

"Yes," she replied, "And many, many more. There used to be a lot of controversies about them all. Then there were too many racial groups, and many of them were hostile towards each other. However, in the end, they did manage to keep the country united despite being the most diverse."

I let out a deep breath. Nobody had ever told me that different groups didn't get along very well. Or that there had been controversies…

"They usually never started war," Ira continued, "And they never invaded any nation. Ever. Most unique fact of the country was that all of the states had different languages of their own. Every single one of them. And there were many states that had more than one language. Sure, differences in languages and cultures led to some resentment sometimes, but usually people were more curious about learning about these different cultures."

"Different languages?" I asked, "I thought they all either spoke Hindi or English."

"Well, the majority had a knowledge of them both but they were not necessarily that was used. And all the languages came from one single language, Sanskrit, that was also called the Language of Gods."

I nodded. Different languages for different states? Which state was I from? What was my language?

"I don't know much," she said and then sighed, but then she smiled, "I, however, do know _some_ Hindi. If you want, I can definitely teach you."

I leaned back in my chair and regarded her coldly. Could I learn a new language now? Should I try? But I wanted to know… I wanted to know all I could about India. Despite it being so far away, I wanted to visit it someday. Was it like Panem too? Did the games exist there? Another person I met a few months ago told me that there used to be a Parliament there, a Prime minister and other ministers. As I looked into Ira's dark eyes, I felt the desire to visit my ancestral land rise.

"Yes, yes I'd like. Thank you."

She smiled at me sadly and then stood up. I nodded at her and then she left. We already knew where the other lived. I gulped down my glass of drink. I was going to learn a new language, my language.

My eyes flicked to the clock. It was time. I felt my blood turn cold with a silent rage; how dare they even think of sending us back in there?! Panem was ruled by tyrants, but this had crossed all lines of tyranny too. I was especially not ready to go back to the arena. Not now. Not ever.

But when I did arrive at the Square, I saw that Toshiba was already there, sitting nervously, looking at the escort. Her husband, Ryde, was holding her hand tightly. They were both victors. The escort frowned at me as I took my seat. Of course she would, I was never very popular with the capitol, or with the victors for that matter. They were afraid of me, and after all that I had done in the arena, it was understandable.

"Welcome, boys and girls, to the Reapings for the hundred and twenty-fifth annual Hunger Games!"

She waited for an applause, cheering, anything, but when none came, she just smiled at everyone and continued.

"As you know, this year we're going to reap a single tribute from amongst our victors. So who will be the lucky guy, or girl, who'll represent Three in the Annual Hunger Games? Let's find out!"

And before she even read it out, I knew who it was. just thinking of going back in the Arena was highly frustrating.

"RAJAN KHAN!"

There, that was it. My Hindi classes had been postponed. As I stood up, all I wanted was to strangle her. Wring her neck. Do something that would cause her some pain and let me release some of my frustration. But I couldn't really do any of that, and so I simply stood beside her and gave her a glare that told her I wasn't in the mood to shake hands with her.

"Well District Three, give it up for Rajan Khan!"

* * *

 **Aiken Harper (20) D7F**

There was nothing I could do to change it, any of it. The twist had been announced, and I didn't know how I was going to fare. I was young, and had won very recently, but that didn't mean I was ready. Because I honestly wasn't. The games gave me nothing but anxiety problems, nervousness, and occasional hatred for myself. Yeah, I knew that it had to be done, but that didn't mean it made me feel less guilty. In fact, it made me feel worse than before. Had I been an already evil person and done it all for fun, then murdering those three children wouldn't have bothered me at all.

One of them could have been out here, instead of me.

"Dear, dear, don't worry," mom said, "There are many victors in Seven. The chances of you getting reaped are slim."

"Mom," I said, "There are three other victors. That means I had 25% chances of being reaped. Plus, I'm one of the younger ones. If they plan to rig it then I'm the one they'd want to send in."

Her face fell when I said that but it was true. The capitol would prefer somewhat younger victors to make things interesting. I didn't think anyone over fifty was going to be reaped for sure.

"Aiken," Holy said, looking at me in the eye, "You've got to give your best if you are reaped."

"Of course I will, Holly," I replied, "But I certainly hope it's not me."

How much more was I supposed to take anyway? My father left us when we were young, because he wanted sons but had two daughters. So he wasn't happy and left us to struggle. My mom was an apothecary and I had to become a lumberjack. However, the knowledge I got from mom had been the key for my survival during my Games.

"I need to clear my mind," I said and then left.

"Wait Aiken!" Holly called out but I didn't stop. This didn't feel right. This wasn't right! None of us deserved to be back in that hell again! My eyes stung now, tears threatening to fall. No, I wasn't going to let those bastards from the capitol make me cry. Not in this life.

So I furiously wiped away the tears and called out to Nymph. When I had returned victorious from the arena, I had been rewarded with the custody of the three horses my family owned: Hazel, Olive and Nymph. Nymph was by far my favorite, a brown stallion in all his glory. Riding him gave me peace, and he always knew what mood I was in.

So when he came galloping up to me and neighed, I couldn't help but laugh slightly. Ah Nymph, I loved you so much.

Mounting the horse, I set off on a round the Victor's village. It felt as if I was flying in the air, strong wind gushing past my ears, stinging my eyes. When I was with Nymph I felt free. Relaxed. Calm.

"Today is the Reaping, Nymph," I told him, "It may happen that I will be gone."

I didn't know how much he understood, but he definitely came to a halt and neighed. It almost sounded as if he was mourning me.

"Hey! Don't worry," I said, "I'll- I'll try."

Maybe my lie worked, because he started trotting again. But honestly, did I have a chance to survive it again if I was chosen? After all, all the other tributes were victors too, some of them more than just a chance winner. The Careers would definitely not have won by fluke. The competition would be tough, I knew that.

"Yeah Nymph, I think that's it."

And I pulled on the reigns. He didn't want to stop. So he must know. He must know I was in a tight spot, that I didn't want to stop too. As I dismounted, he nudged me lightly, and I hugged him briefly. He was a friend. He would always be a friend.

But now was the time to depart. With heavy footsteps and an even heavier heart, I trudged to my room. Tying my curly hair in a ponytail, I wondered why I had to dress fashionably. I wasn't going to a wedding, after all. Plus, I wasn't ugly either. Tall, fair, with freckles and hazel eyes, I considered myself to be decent-looking at least. I knew I didn't need makeup, even if I were ugly, I wouldn't wear makeup for the Reapings.

So I just out on a simple blue dress, one that Holly gifted to me on my last birthday. It was more valuable than the gown my stylist had sent, with embroidery done with threads of gold.

"Be strong Aiken," Holly said, and I pulled her into a hug. My dear sister. Mom was sobbing quietly and I gave her a hug too.

"No need to cry or be upset," I said, "Everything will be fine."

None of us believed it.

Nobody pressed the subject.

When I got to the Square, I was surprised to find it relatively empty. Very few citizens had gathered there, and no other victor was present.

 _Well Aiken, how lucky._

I watched sourly as Hermione took her spot at the stage. Slowly, very slowly, the people started arriving there. Had it been their own reapings they would have been more considerate. My fellow victors arrived soon after, and we all exchanged weak smiles. It could be any of us. What words could we offer that would lessen the fear? Erase the memories of those daunting days? We could do nothing, and so silence was the only thing to offer.

"…and our lucky tribute is- AIKEN HARPER!"

"Fu*k this shit!" I cursed.

This couldn't be happening. I had thought it would but-but-

"BITCH!"

Hermione's eyes widened at my statements. This language was supposed to be censored. Well, they deserved it. They deserved so much more! These bastards had the nerve of sending me in! _Again!?_

"Oh well, District Seven, give it up for Aiken Harper!"

* * *

 **Well guys, Sally here! I know this is late but here it is! What do you think of these two? It was fun writing these two. They are really good characters!**

 **Also, tracelynn is working on a blog for this story. Shout out to her for helping us out! Thanks tracee!**

 **And if you're looking for a story to submit to, you can check out IVolunteerAsAuthor. He is a really good author and writes tributes amazingly well, so please do send some tributes his way!**

 **(I don't think it will be hard for anyone to guess which POV was written by whom because of the word usage.)**

 **I mean, I only curse when a character demands it so...**

 **Anyway, have a good day!**


	6. Chapter 6

**_Reapings_**

 ** _Geoffrey Guilford (37) D8M_**

"Can it be you?"

"I dunno. Maybe."

"It-it can't be. You've already suffered so much! It'll be wrong!"

"I know Sue, but so have the rest. I'm not—I'm not the only one who has won. And there are so many I have mentored."

"I don't wanna hear anything of this sort! We don't have children so that they don't have to go in. How can I lose you?!"

I sighed, taking my wife's hands in mine. She had the right to be worried, to be angry, to be afraid.

In all honesty, so was I.

Three victors in District Eight. One was to be chosen. More than 33% chance of my being selected. Nobody was going to volunteer.

It wasn't as we never wanted to have children. We did, just like everyone else. But we knew what they could go through. We didn't want to lose something we would have helped create. For six years we had been married, but without a child to call our own. Just so to avoid the pain. The pain of losing someone close.

Little did we know that this might happen.

Of course, if I were chosen I would have a better chance than any other year. Firstly, there were only twelve tributes this time, and secondly, there were going to be two victors instead of the usual one.

Who was I kidding?

"Geoffrey," Sue said, leaning her head on my shoulder, shutting her eyes gently. I saw a single tear roll down her cheek. Gently reaching out, I wiped it away. It would do nobody any good by crying.

All of a sudden, the doorbell rang, startling both of us so that we jumped apart. We hadn't even realized that we were in total silence up till now.

"I'll see who it is," I said. Sue nodded as I got up and started towards the main door. I peeped through the peep-hole to find Calico standing outside. Putting on a smile, I opened the door and beamed at my fellow victor.

"Calico! How are you doing?"

She had won a few years before me, but at a much younger age. Usually a cheery woman, Calico had a sad smile on her face.

"I am doing as well as I could."

I invited her into the living room, where Sue greeted her with a smile. They had been friends for some years now. Both women comforted each other when in problem.

But what about today?

Today, any of us could be Reaped. And it would be wrong to expect that the other would volunteer. I wouldn't, I wasn't gonna lie about it. It was hell last time. I had one kill, the boy from Four. Anchor was his name. But the loneliness, the everlasting madness of the arena was enough to break anyone down.

At that time if Calico had been my mentor, it wouldn't have been so hard. But my mentor was an idiot, and so I took care to make my tributes comfortable.

"This is freaking wrong!"

I snapped out of my thoughts as Calico screamed. I had never seen her this mad before. But she was entitled to it.

"I know dear," I said as Sue gave her a hug, "I know."

"It's so horrible! Why do we have to face this again?! This is unprofessional!"

Unprofessional? That was a weird thing to say…

"Can't do nothing, Calico," I said as I sat down, "Nothing's in our hands."

She looked me in the eye and I nodded. A silent agreement passed between us. Neither was going to volunteer for the other. I kind of hoped that Lace be reaped. He was the worst, drunk and really rude. Plus, he had the best chance to survive.

"You-you-" Sue started but her voice cracked. I knew what she wanted to say though.

"Should get ready? No honey, not for this. Not for today."

Why should I bother? I was good looking and popular. With my lean frame and good height, and fairly good features, I didn't need to dress smartly in a tuxedo. Especially when I could be marching into the arena. Good clothes won't help me out there.

"At least brush your hair," Calico said with a smile. I sighed dramatically, trying to lighten the mood.

"I don't understand why you women are always like 'dress well', 'brush your hair', 'do this- do that'," I grumbled as I simply ran my hand through my long greasy blond hair. My pale skin, along with grey eyes, seemed to give a handsome yet startling look to me. I liked it that way.

"You men have no taste," Sue muttered.

"Heard that, madam."

But when I was in the Square, among masses of people, all staring up at me, I found myself clenching her hand tightly. I didn't want to leave her. Calico sat on my other side whereas Lace sat with his family.

"If one of us is chosen," Calico whispered as the escort introduced herself, "The other will be the mentor."

"Deal."

The escort put her hand into the Reaping bowl, where only three slips were kept.

And at that moment I knew what was going to happen. I shut my eyes tightly, my fists clenched so tightly they hurt.

"If I am gone, take care of Sue."

"I will."

"… is: GEOFFREY GUILFORD!"

I had expected it. I had known this would happen.

But why was I having trouble accepting it?

I opened my eyes dramatically and got up.

"No! NO!" Sue cried, not letting my hand go. Her grip on my wrist was tight, but I gently extricated my arm, not looking at her. I couldn't see her break down like that.

I marched towards the podium, stamping on the ground. Glaring at the escort, I didn't speak when offered the microphone.

"Well, District Eight, give it up for Geoffrey Guilford!"

* * *

 ** _Tua Uling (32) D12F_**

Another Reaping year. Another time when I was eligible.

How nice.

And again, I was going in. No, I didn't feel this would happen. I _knew_ this would happen. Just like last time, it would be rigged.

Why would it be rigged? Well, let's see. Maybe because my father was a serial killer, and had been hanged in the town square for killing thirty or so people. He was a bit crazy, after all. And he taught me so many tricks. But anyway, they thought they had to punish me for what he did too, so I was Reaped when I was fourteen. They thought I'd die. They thought I'd suffer. The arena was a psyche ward after all. Maybe they thought it'd act as a trigger.

It only helped me be better.

I killed quite a few of them. Six? Seven? I honestly didn't remember, and I didn't care. They were foolish and insignificant, bathed in the scent of arrogance and greed, like much of the human race. And like many of them, they deserved what they got.

Why did I think it would be rigged again? well, maybe because these people were scared of me, and rightfully so.

I was going for the Square now. It was quite some distance away from home, and so I had to leave early. I saw a few children back away from me as I passed them, and I smirked it was always fun to see people scared of you.

A small ball hit me on the knee and I looked down. A young child, maybe seven or eight, came running over as I picked up the ball.

"Can I have it, please?"

I raised my brows. He dared to throw the ball at me, and now he had the nerve to ask me for it? the look on his face suggested he knew nothing, that he wasn't scared.

But he _should_ be scared.

I smiled sweetly at him and asked, "This? Is this what you want?"

"Yeah!"

"Fine. Just go back a bit. I'll throw it, and you catch it."

"Sure missy. Thank you!"

Oh he was going to thank me now for sure.

I drew back my arm as much as I could, and threw the ball with as much strength as possible. It zoomed through the air and hit him right in the nose. There was a satisfying creaking sound, and soon he was all blood. He swayed on the spot and then fell down with a _thud._ The passers-by saw this, but didn't help him. They knew what was good for them. And anyway, this wasn't going to kill him.

"Have a fun time playing!" I said, treading over him and walking ahead. Now they would all know not to cross my path. When the boy would wake up he'd ask his parents about me, and the next time he wouldn't be brave enough to speak to me directly. Usually I would ignore it but sometimes… people had to be put in their place.

I had realised that this world was evil when my father was executed. I was looking for a place to sleep in the alleyway having no home left, and that night changed my life. There was this strong man, and one poor little girl, barely ten. Obviously, he won. I couldn't put up a resistance, and no matter how much I screamed or cried for help, nobody came. I was sure that some people had seen him ripping my clothes, and heard my screams, but they didn't help. They didn't care about my lost innocence.

Why should I care about their life?

This person was the first one I killed after returning home as a victor. Ah, revenge was sweet.

I pulled at my necklace that I was wearing. Usually, I didn't wear jewellery. Or makeup. But today, I had both on, and it made me uncomfortable. Sure, the eyeliner did make my brown eyes more beautiful, and the makeup made my pale skin look rosy. My straight hair falling to my chin didn't need anything, thankfully. It would have been dreadful otherwise. Now why I was trying to look beautiful an all, I didn't know. Maybe it would help rake in the sponsors. No idea.

Crowds parted to make a clear way for me up to the stage. The Reapings had already begun, and Gaya was fumbling for a slip. Usually, peacekeepers would stop me for being late. Well, if it had been anyone but me. Even they knew not to cross my path.

"TUA ULING!"

Even Gaya's voice shook as she called out my name. I stood at my spot for a few seconds. Everyone around me was staring.

See? I _knew_ this was going to happen!

It was no surprise to me when I burst out laughing. I walked up to the stage, a certain spring in my step I couldn't explain. This was going to be so much fun.

"Tua! Do you want to say something to District Twelve?"

"Of course!" I said and then beamed at everyone, "I will be back soon. You can count on it!"

The people applauded politely, but I could see from their faces that they seriously didn't want a victor this year. Oh well, bad for them.

I planned on coming back alive.

* * *

 **Hi! So firstly, Happy new Year to all of you wonderful people! May 2017 bring loads of joy and happiness in your lives!**

 **It was so fun working with these two! Who do you like better? Tua or Geoffrey? Who do you will do better? Any thoughts on them?**

 **Also guys, I know we're working rather slowly on this, but we are dedicated to complete this. Collabs can be hard but we're trying our best. However, I really wanna ask you all: are you reading? I honestly feel many of you aren't. No, we'll finish the story anyways, but I'd honestly love to hear your feedback. There haven't been many reviews on the previous chapter. Is it my writing or something? Please tell me if it is, I'll work on it.**

 **Anyways, have a great day ahead!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Reapings**

 **Rodney Steel (23) D6M**

"What will you do if you are chosen?"

"It can't be!" I exclaimed, munching on bread and cheese, "There won't be much to eat!"

"But then I will have to be selected," Tram said, leaning back in his chair.

Usually I didn't talk much. It was better that way. Talking had only harmed me in the past. After winning my Games, I couldn't keep my mouth shut. I had to bad mouth the Capitol... and get my entire family killed in an 'accident'. It was so funny how regular these accidents were among victors.

"It has to be one of us," I replied, gulping down the glass of milk.

"Slow down Rodney! The food isn't going anywhere!"

"Can't," I said, "The food might be going away anytime."

Tram sighed and then helped himself to a slice of bread. Nobody could understand my obsession with food.

My arena had been a train yard, and maybe that was the only reason I survived. My only kill was a thirteen year old girl. And I had starved. Starved so badly. I just couldn't stay away from food now. I needed it after every hour or so.

But nobody understood. All they saw was the overweight man who was always eating. They never saw the true reason.

"How did we end up in this mess again?" he groaned.

"I don't know," I muttered, "But I really don't want to go in."

"Neither of us do," he replied again, looking at me in a steely way, "But one of us will."

If my intution was correct, I would be the one to be chosen. Taking into account that the Reapings were rigged, of course. And I had a sneaking suspicion that it was going to be rigged.

"Beer?" Tram asked, holding out a can. I tried to lean forward and grab it, but my potbelly left me breathless in that one instance, making me fall back in my chair.

"Throw it," I told him, trying to appear as if I was intentionally not coming forward to get it. Tram sighed and threw the bottle at me. This I caught effortlessly. In my mind I thanked the stars that I didn't end up embarrassing myself again.

"You need to work out more," he commented, following which he took a swig from his can.

"Why should I? What's the point?"

"Well, let's see. First, you won't have such a monstrously huge belly. And you might actually be able to move from your place, as well as lean in your chair."

"That was really insensitive."

"I know it was but honestly, anything to make you move."

"You think your comments will make me move?" I asked, frowning at him.

His shoulders slumped, and that was all I needed as an answer. Shrugging, I emptied the can and asked him to pass me one more, to which he obliged immediately.

Now, I knew I was bulky, but he had no business taunting me for it. Not that I was affected by it but still. It wasn't exactly a very nice thing to hear. After all, even I was thin once.

Before my Games I could say I was handsome. Strawberry blond hair that fell on my pale face complimented my light blue eyes. People told me they were full of mischief and arrogance. Not anymore though. Not anymore. I had seen too much and things that no child should see.

But what did that have to do with me being fat? This simple question had a simple answer: I was afraid of starving.

I had starved in my Games. I needed food every other hour. And after the... 'accident', I needed alcohol too. Too much of eating and drinking along with negligible movement had done this to me.

I did not care anymore.

"Come on, time to go."

"I don't want to come," I said abruptly, and I meant it. Why should I go? Was there any reason to still be afraid? They had promised me one thing: they would never ask this of me again. But they went back on their word. Why should I care?

"Don't be silly," Tram muttered, "Get up fast."

"I don't want to get ready."

"Then don't."

"I don't want to come."

"Rodney, you'll have to. Or else they may starve you. Or worse "

Those golden words had the desired effect, and in no time I was in my feet, ready to go the Square.

It was a lot of effort to get there. By the time I reached there I was panting, clutching my chest. On the other hand, Tram was completely alright. I envied him for his fit body.

"Our hero who will represent us in this year's Hunger Games is... RODNEY STEEL!"

And there, that was it. Just as I thought. I stood up shakily, my legs swaying. Everything appeared to be so blurred... and I was shaking. My feet couldn't keep still. Four Peacekeepers were running towards me.

And I was falling. Falling...

* * *

 **Leia Foster (22) D11F**

Today I didn't feel like doing any work.

Yes, I had still spent some two hours working on the fields, cutting the crops. No, there wasn't any need for all this hard work but it was fun. Plus, there were other reasons. Reasons I didn't want to think about but they lived in my mind forever.

However, today was different. As I wiped my forehead with the rag I was carrying with me for this very purpose, I felt a rising fear in the pit of my stomach. What if...? No. It would be better for my own health to not think of it. A bleak future was at least a future but today... Today everything could simply end.

The sun beat down strongly. Usually this wouldn't affect me but at the moment I took a seat on the ground, taking a sip from my water bottle. It was too hot and the water seemed to be doing nothing. No matter how much I drank, my thirst wasn't quenched.

I lied down, staring up at the sky. It was clear, with white clouds floating in there. I missed my family. My parents, who were no more for a trivial reason. When I was in the arena my mother was shot for stealing food. My father was killed for attacking the peacekeeper who shot her. And my brother, my brother, barely ten was left all alone. When I returned I had to be everything for him: his mother, his father as well as his sister. But it wasn't easy.

Sure, we settled in the victor's village but it always felt... empty. I missed my mother's loving touch, my father's caring words. A tear started making its way down my left cheek. I missed them so much, especially today.

The Reapings were here again. Last time I lost my parents. But now, now what? What would become of my brother? Who would look after him?

Sure, I wasn't the only victor is Eleven, and my chances were the same as everyone else's but that didn't mean I shouldn't be concerned for I knew that if I was selected this time I'd be done for sure. Yes, I did fieldwork to honour my poor parents and so was fit and muscular, but was that enough?

I didn't think so.

"Leia!"

I stood up hastily at the mention of my name. Turning right, I saw my younger brother running towards me, a look of sadness and dread on his face. It was not really nice to see him that way.

"Leia, get ready. We have to leave soon!"

"Calm down Quince," I said with a light chuckle. He stared at me incredulously.

"How can you be so relaxed today?!"

"Ah brother dear," I said with a smirk, "I am always relaxed. Plus, the chances of me being selected isn't much. On top of that, this year's reapings don't apply to you so you get one more year. Why shouldn't I be glad?"

"But if you are gone-"

"If I go then I will do my best to return."

With that I smiled at him and ruffled his short dark hair that were so like mine. Honestly though, that was a good part of this year's twist. The children were safe and hence was my brother. Because if he were Reaped... no! That wouldn't do! I wouldn't be able to cope with that.

"Well then Miss Sunshine," he said in a grumbly voice, "Come along. It's time."

"I think I should change," I said thoughtfully.

"Nah," Quince said sourly, "Not worth it."

I laughed at his comment and, holding his hand, I started walking towards the Square, leaving my work tools behind in the field itself.

It was only after I took my seat when I started getting really worried.

What if I was Reaped? What about Quince? He would still have four Reapings left! How would he manage...?

"The lucky victor who will get another chance to outshine everyone else is... LEIA FOSTER!"

I sighed. So this was happening again and once more I was helpless before this decision. I tried for a smile but failed miserably. In the distance I heard a startled scream from Quince. Giving him a glance I nodded at him, trying to tell him to hold on. But hold on to what? I was leaving and most probably I was going to lose. We only had each other after all. What would happen to him?

"Leia, do you want to say anything to District Eleven?"

"Yes.

"Root for me guys. I'll give my best this time."

But I knew this was a fake promise, and the mild applause from the audience only confirmed my suspicions.

* * *

 **Hello all! This is Reader here today. Sally isn't doing well so I wrote them both and I absolutely enjoyed it. And with this chapter, the Reapings come to an end! So what are your thoughts on the characters and who do you like better? Please let us know. And just so you know, Rodney passed out when his name was called.**

 **Have a great day!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Training**

 **Charlie Leah Edison (18) D5F**

One thing that I was happy about? That we still got to train.

Honestly, it hadn't been long, but my skills with every single weapon seemed to be rusty. The training facility was as grand and majestic as it had been the last time. I lowered my gaze and walked forward, towards the many weapons that were put on display.

I heard a light laugh and turned right, only to find the Careers all standing together and talking about something. Ceira wasn't looking too pleased with the situation but she was still trying to be a part of the conversation. Passion and Lakely, the two volunteers, had big smiles on their faces as they talked about something. I frowned. How could they talk to each other as if they were old friends? Weren't they going to try and kill each other in a few days? I could never understand the fake behaviour of all these Careers. Did they seriously think it was okay to kill a friend with whom you were chatting and laughing just a few days ago? And anyway, these three knew each other from some time now.

I sighed. What good would it do me, looking at all these people who were enjoying with those they intended to murder? I'd never be able to be that fake and since it was annoying me so much, I decided to continue on my way to the darts. Darts were what I used last time, and I hoped they would get me out of here alive this time too.

I weighed one of them in my hand and then threw it at the target they had set up. I had honestly hoped that it would at least hit one of the inner rings. However, I was mortified when I saw that my precious dart had hit the outermost ring. My jaw dropped at that, my eyes popped out and I heard another chuckle.

This time I looked up to find Tua staring at me, a smirk on her face due to my pathetic attempt at throwing darts. I felt my cheeks going hot and red and I looked away from her. It was not easy to ignore her though, for she was still staring. Taking a deep breath, I threw the next dart, which hit the penultimate ring of the target. I sighed in embarrassment as I could almost hear her smirk. Well, it was at least better than the first time.

There was a lot to work on…

* * *

 **Oxen Bambi (46) D10M**

The brightness of the training centre was overwhelming, but I was glad of its presence. Last night had been really hard. Against all odds, there was a power cut of ten minutes in the tribute building. Those ten minutes were the worst in my life post my Games. They'd not kept a single candle in the room, and by the time an Avox arrived with a torch, I already had tears rolling down my cheeks as I was buried in my overly-soft blanket.

A part of me was certain they had done it on purpose.

What other reason could there be for a power cut? In a place like the Capitol too? It was obviously done in an effort to scare me, and to warn the tributes.

Tributes all around me were training but I was seated comfortably on a chair leaning against the wall near the water purifier. Many of them looked thirsty, but they shot one glance in my direction and then continued with whatever they were doing. It could be because I was really huge but it suited me so I wasn't going to complain about it.

"Oxen!"

My eyes shot open and I saw the trainer at the edible plants station waving at me. Without a response, I closed my eyes again. Or half shut, as it would get dark if I closed them completely. Ignorance was bliss when it came to these Capitolites, and I could do with some of it right now.

"Oxen! Don't you want to go over the plans again? There're some new ones that have been introduced recently. Come over and I'll tell you all about them!"

Deciding to ignore her again I kept my eyes shut. She knew nothing about edible plants. These people decorated their corridors with poisonous ones, and she actually had a mistletoe plant on her table.

"This mistletoe is really good!" she continued, pretending as if I wasn't ignoring her, "It's so beautiful and lovely like you-"

"And poisonous like you," I replied bluntly, without opening my eyes completely.

I didn't know how she reacted to that but it at least shut her up. And that was what I was aiming for. A little bit of peace and quiet and the absence of her bickering. That's it.

* * *

 **Ceira Keiper (28) D2F**

"We need to observe other people," Passion suggested, "They're all victors, and while all of us are familiar with each other's tricks, I still think we should be ready for them."

"True," Lakely said with a smile, "Passion, you should've seen the way Oxen slammed that trainer."

"I saw that," I said, "Serves her right."

"Seriously, how can she classify mistletoe as edible?"

"She has holly berries too."

"One or so holly berries won't kill you," Passion said, "It'll work like caffeine, I think."

"Passion, Lakely certainly knows what plants will kill others, don't you Lake?" I said.

A dark look clouded over her face, which instantly turned into a grin. She nodded, scratching her head, "Who me? Oh well, a little bit, yes. But I'm no expert, haha."

Liar. Everybody knew she had poisoned her allies in her Year. She had acted pretty much the same way, all friendly and everything but was ultimately backstabbing dog. She obviously had no guilt about killing all those people and betraying those who trusted her. Had she felt an ounce of guilt, she wouldn't have volunteered for Round Two.

Passion was a different case. I had watched his Reaping. He had volunteered for Esmeralda, and although nobody knew what was the relationship between them, everyone knew he could do everything for her. He was her mentor, as far as I remembered. If there was anything else between them, I didn't know it.

"Yes Lakely, but your knowledge will be invaluable to all of us."

"I sure hope it is."

Passion looked back and forth between us. Fiddling with his ponytail, he said, maybe to ease the tension, "I'm scared of the Jackdaw."

"You're scared?" Lakely asked, her voice holding a mirth that neither of us seemed to like.

"Well not scared exactly. But… I don't like this. He isn't really a gentle person, and the fact that he _volunteered_ to protect an old man is just- I don't know. What I do know is that he's a threat, guys. Maybe he volunteered just to- you know- just to kill."

I frowned at that. That could very well be the reason for it. I looked over his shoulder to see Jake talking to Tua. Following my gaze, my tow allies also turned to look at them briefly, before turning back around.

"Well…" Lakely said, shrugging, "These two are doing fine together."

"Too fine," Passion muttered, "Those two shouldn't team up. They'll make a formidable duo."

"And they can both win," I added, a sinking feeling developing in my heart, "They won't turn on each other. They'll definitely be a dangerous pair."

"If they do team up," Passion said, a steely look in his eyes now, "We'll just take them out in the bloodbath."

* * *

 **Rajan "The Reaver" Khan (34) D3M**

Even after so many years, my skills with a sword weren't all that bad.

Sure, they could've had been better but taking into account that it had been years since I tried my hand at it, I felt pretty good about it.

Right now, I was in the mess hall, where all the victors had gathered to have lunch. Many of them sat with each other while a few, though occupying the same table, weren't really speaking. I, as usual, was sitting away from them all, not wanting to hear their 'friendly banter' or anything else. I wondered, as I bit into the sandwich, how they were able to talk to each other like old friends while plotting against them on the inside? I got it when a man and woman were acting that way, because they really had no need to kill each other this time around, but this kind of pairs were rare.

I sighed. Had I been in Three right now, I could have been so close to my goal! Maybe I could've had found something more that I didn't know! But I was stuck here, not knowing the outcome of this deadly game. What bothered me slightly was that I didn't really care whether I lived or not, despite wanting to find out about my ethnicity.

There was a kind of calmness that prevailed over my mind right now. Anything could happen, and one in six chances were obviously better than one in twenty-four, but I still felt this was going to be harder than last time.

Oh well.

I wondered what would happen if one of us died before getting to the arena. Maybe during these few training days or worse, inside the tube that would carry us to the arena. My throat went dry at that and I couldn't swallow. _What_ would they do in such a circumstance? Would they call upon another victor?

Whatever the case, I didn't want to find out.

So slowly, I chewed at my food, not wanting to be there at all. It was a strange sensation, looking forward to the next day and at the same time, dreading it despite not even caring about what would happen.

Now wasn't the time to feel that way. Now was the time to relax the mind. And so, I leaned back in my chair, eyes closed, and thought about everything I wanted to do after getting out of here.

* * *

 **Tua Uling (31) D12F**

Yesterday, Jake had asked me a question. He had asked me if I wanted to be his ally or not.

I was still thinking on my answer.

The Jackdaw was infamous for various reasons, but so was I? Some people would even say that we were pretty similar. But would that case be in my favour? Of course, I could betray him at any time I liked, but the problem was that he might do so too.

I had never thought so much about an alliance before.

A dummy was lying in front of me on a table. A scalpel in hand, I was kind of tearing the poor thing apart. Gently and slowly, of course. I was hoping the situation would be the same in the arena, and that if it did come to betrayal, I would be the one with the scalpel and he'd be the dummy. That would be sweet.

"Tua!"

I looked up to see him smiling at me. How conveniently he could put up a pretence! I smiled back at him, for there was no reason to not be 'nice' to fellow tributes.

"Jake! Good morning!"

"Good morning," he said, his eyes falling on the dummy I had torn open. A mad gleam appeared in them, as if he was trying to devour the sight with his eyes. This confirmed my beliefs: he would try to betray me. But I wasn't going to let that happen. He would be in the place of this dummy.

"So," he said, taking his eyes off the dummy with obvious effort, "Did you think on what we talked about yesterday?"

"Of course, I did Jake," I replied with another smile, "And I guess there's nothing to refuse to. After all, we're not competing against each other, right?"

"Sure we're not," he replied with a smile of his own. Fake to the core. "We're going to support each other till the end and walk away as victors."

"That's the plan," I agreed.

"Fine. It's done then."

We shook hands at that, maintaining a firm grip. I wasn't going to make a mistake of believing his lies. The moment the female threats were gone, he'll be gone too.

* * *

 **Rodney Steel (23) D6M**

My situation couldn't have been more embarrassing. Firstly, I literally fainted when they called my name at the Reapings. I had woken up directly on the train, and Tram was kind enough to inform me that four Peacekeepers had to drag me into the train and set me down in a bed, and that even the escort couldn't help but chuckle at my plight.

Secondly, there had been a mandatory exercise for all of us: we were required to run on the tracks for thirty minutes. Guess what? I couldn't manage five minutes and that too hadn't really been a run. By the time everyone else had finished, I had still not arrived at halfway mark. I was panting and trying very hard to breathe but ultimately just rolled over and collapsed on the track itself. That's where I stayed until two trainers came forward reluctantly to help me out and as soon as I was on my feet, they were gone. Nobody wanted to be associated with a loser like me. It was understandable.

"To hell with everything!" I cried out abruptly, surprising everybody around me including myself. I had given up on yelling a long time back, ever since that got my family killed. But this whole situation was just…

"Is anything wrong, Rodney?" one of the trainers asked. He didn't really look eager to find out if anything was really wrong, and so I wasn't going to tell him anyway.

"Nope," I muttered and then went back to stabbing dummies with my knife. That's exactly what I did yesterday too, and during the major part of today. There was no weapon I could use and although I knew that stabbing dummies with knives all day and that too at such a close distance wasn't improving my skills or anything, it did give me a kind of satisfaction that was hard to explain. It felt amazing taking out my frustration and anger on these inanimate objects. If I couldn't do anything to the Capitol or its people, I could at least take solace in destroying these dummies.

But now, I was tired. It had been an hour now, and I needed something to eat. Would the mess hall counters be open right now? There was nothing to do except to check out, I guess.

Dropping the knives in their place, I walked away from the battered dummy, hoping to find something to eat.

* * *

 **Hi y'all! How've you been? I know it's late, but one more chapter and we'll be into the games! I'm pretty excited about it! I hope this chapter wasn't too bad though. It was hard writing anything due to being injured, but Reader helped me out a lot so yeah! Please let me know your thoughts on this chapter!**

 **Have a good day guys! :D**


	9. Chapter 9

**Private Sessions**

 **Passion Hart (24) D1M**

I couldn't believe this had happened.

Last night, the Head Gamemaker had come to see me. Or rather, to use me. He knew I wouldn't refuse. I couldn't refuse. Especially if he mentioned Esmeralda... He told me he'd take her if I didn't give in.

What choice did I have?

After all, my cousin was innocent. They hadn't laid a finger on her, despite her victory and stunningly good looks. But I, I wasn't like her. I had been violated so many times... I couldn't let her be treated the same way. I gave Arthur what he wanted.

But now my body was aching as I waited for them to call me for my Private Sessions. It would begin in ten minutes, and all of us were gathered here, sitting silently. Ceria tried to give me an encouraging smile and I returned it. I could tell her what had happened with me, but it had happened with her so many times that I was afraid I'd trigger her.

"What will you do?" Lakely asked, "The swords or...?"

"No," I replied, "Swords are too common, don't you think? I'll go with something else."

"What?" She pressed on, looking at me curiously with an excitement that made me want to laugh.

"Nothing special, Lake," I replied honestly, "I'll use a trident."

"Trident?! I've never seen a guy from One choose a trident as his weapon!"

"I know," I replied, "But we do have them at the training academies. I like tridents better than most weapons."

"Cool!"

"What will you do?" Ceria asked Lake, her eyes lidded as she examined her nails, "Hopefully it isn't sedatives. Or... poison."

Lakely laughed at that and then winked at Ceria.

"Surely not," she replies, "I'll use throwing knives."

"Nice."

I glanced at Lakely, noticing her. She didn't look very comfortable with the question but had laughed it off. I was sure she was going to use poison this time.

Well, I wouldn't eat the food she'd cook. Or rather, I wouldn't let her cook. After all, I knew a few things about cooking.

But then, maybe it wouldn't be too bad if I died. At least I wouldn't be violated again and again.

 **Lakely "Lake" Holt (19) D4F**

Ceria was too smart. And Passion as well. He didn't say anything earlier but I could see his gears turning. In fact, I was certain that he was thinking about cooking our food, hoping it wouldn't be poisoned.

Neither of them had to worry. I wasn't going to dismiss them, not early anyways. And as far as Ceria was concerned, I could poison just about any kind of food. It wasn't a big deal for me.

But now, it was my turn to show off my skills- again, to the Gamemakers. I hoped they would give me good scores. Of course they would, I'd compel them to.

"Ms Holt, what will you like to show us today?" Head Gamemaker Arthur asked with a smile.

"I'll just show you, sir."

I walked towards the poisons station. Eyeing all the ingredients, I quickly made up my mind about what I would make. So I started brewing the concoction, until it was a clear yellow color.

"Here it is!"

"Poison? Are you sure it'll work? Shall I test it on an Avox?"

"Sir," I cut him off, "This isn't poison."

"What do you mean?"

"The ingredients are poisonous, yes, but after mixing them together properly, instead of making another strong venom, this turns into an antidote. And as you saw, it can be prepared within minutes."

After that, I demonstrated my knife throwing skills. They'd set up a moving pendulum as a target for me, but I knew what I was doing. The knife hit the bob straight on.

"That was impressive, Lakely."

"Thank you sir," I replied warmly.

"So... do you use poisons only for making antidotes?"

"Not at all," I answered, "I just wanted to show that the most deadly weapon could be used as a medicine too."

"Well done. Thank you, Ms Holt."

"Thank you, sir," I said and walked out of the room.

 **Aiken Harper (20) D7F**

"You use axes pretty well, Ms Harper."

I nodded at the compliment, not willing to waste my energy on thanking him and all. What was there to thank them for anyway? For sending me through hell again?

But I held my tongue as I walkes towards the station with tomahawks. Not a very popular weapon with District Seven, but it helped me last time, and I still remembered how to use them.

Arranging five dummies in a circle, I started throwing the weapon at them, taking off their heads and smashing their skulls. It made me feel sick that I could be doing this to actual, real people- again. It wasn't fun. It wasn't something to be proud of. But it was something to be done.

When all the dummies had been destroyed, I strolled towards the edible plants section. Not wanting to explain anything to the petty Gamemakers, I decided to take a computerised test.

It was too easy.

In fact, I marked a couple of wrong answers just because I felt like doing so. I knew I'd still get above ninety in the test. I didn't need more than that. And then I submitted the answers.

Ninety two percent. Bingo.

A trainer hurried over to me and recorded the score. He nodded at me approvingly but I just turned away from him. I didn't want his appreciation.

"Thank you," I said, just as the time reached the limit. Bowing slightly, I walked away, not waiting for their comments. I didn't want to hear those dogs' voices. After doing this to us they always expected us to fawn over their pathetic words. No thanks. I was better on my own.

 **Jake "Jackdaw" Dasby (32) D9M**

"I think we should take down the real threats first," Tua said, "We can worry about the weaklings later."

"Sure," I replied, "However, this time around everyone is a victor. Nobody's exactly weak. They can be underdogs and win."

"Dear Jake," she said, her voice dripping with honey, "There are many chance victors here too. Do you think they stand a chance?"

Now, it was seriously annoying me the way she talked. It was as if I was a toddler. And she always added 'dear', 'sweetie', etc. which annoyed me even more if it was pissible. However, I had to keep her around for my own safety. I had to let her believe that I wouldn't kill her. After all, there were supposed to be two victors. She'd buy it.

I wasn't going to inform her that I volunteered only because I wanted blood.

"The Careers?" She asked.

"How about the alliance between Leia and Geoffrey? We can take them out."

"They are strong," she nodded, "Fine. That'll be okay too."

"Exactly, because the Careers will be busy killing the weaker ones."

"True."

Tua looked down at her feet, her hair hiding her face. She seemed to be thinking and something told me it wasn't good for me. What if she had the same intentions as me? No... I couldn't allow that.

"Did you really volunteer to help that man out?"

"Yes," I replied confidently. Lying was, after all, my forte. "He couldn't have won. But I can and I will."

Tua smiled at me abruptly and then stood up, bringing her hand forward.

"Hopefully the scores will be good. Good luck."

"Good luck to you too."

As we shook hands, I couldn't help but notice how firm her grip was and how confident she looked. I smiled.

First the men and then it'd be fun to kill her. After all, that's what I came here for...

 **Leia Foster (22) D11F**

I was glad I had an ally.

My fellow tributes were all too preoccupied on training and strategizing to notice anything at all. The only other alliance was between Tua and Jackdaw, and since they were both psychotic, it wasn't really a surprise. The Careers weren't a great team at all, not with two girls who would be trying to kill each other at the first chance they'd get. After all, only one girl was leaving this place alive.

That's why my alliance with Geoffrey was beneficial to both of us. We weren't competing against each other. In fact, we were actually trying to help each other out since we both could win this thing. And it helped that I knew him from before pretty well and I knew he was dependable. After all, that was the most important aspect in a team; whether the members were dependable or not.

The scores of the Private Sessions were going to be announced soon, and I couldn't help but feel nervous. If I scored poorly, the Capitol would be 'disappointed' and wouldn't sponsor me. If I scored too high, they'd be happy, but I'd make for an early bloodbath. So I hoped it would be a decent score but I didn't know for sure. Staring at the TV screen, I clenched my fists in anticipation. They'll be out soon...

And then it began. I wasn't surprised when a 10 flashed against Passion's photograph. These brutal Careers! Did they still train day and night?! What for though?

The next was Ceria with a score of 9. I frowned. That was very impressive but again, I wasn't surprised.

What surprised me was Rajan's 7. It was a good score for someone from Three, even if he was a victor, and I wondered what he had done. Of course, it wasn't too high. In fact it was the score I needed. Neither too high nor too low, but respectable enough.

I leaned back in my chair as a 9 appeared next to Lakely's name. No surprises, in fact I was expecting a 10 from her since she had won very recently.

I wondered what Geoffrey must be thinking of these scores. He must be planning something, which was good, because the competition was seriously getting tough...

 **Geoffrey Guilford (37) D8M**

The tributes this far had gotten pretty solid scores, and that was something to worry about.

I was pretty confident in my own performance back in front of the Gamemakers. After all, it's rare to see a guy from Eight weild a trident efficiently but since a trident had assured me victory last time, I stuck to it. I wasn't bad either, and had managed to beat the trainer, but then the Gamemakers many-a-times didn't like giving high scores to those of us who were not Careers.

Charlie's name appeared next, and a 6 flashed next to it. It was pretty predictable to be true, but I was glad that at least somebody had scored less than a 7. However, next was Rodney's score and that simply blew me away. He got a 2... a 2.

I couldn't hide my shock at that. How could a victor get a 2?! What did he do to get that score? But then Rodney might not have been able to perform well. He was a but too fat and I'd seen during training that he had trouble doing basic things. And he was always eating. He got scared easily. The more I thought about it, the less surprising it became.

Next was Aiken, and I was again surprised to see a 7. I wondered what she did to get that score, for it was pretty high. So far, there were two people with a 7 and both these could be strong contenders.

I knew my score was next, and although I had faced it before, I felt a coldness in my stomach as I waited nervously. There was nothing I could do to change it but I hoped that it was decent.

However, I was completely unprepared for the 9 that popped up next to my name. 9!? This was brilliant! It was a score good enough to attract all the sponsors out there. Heck, it'd help our alliance a lot!

I exhaled in relief, the tension built up inside me had now vanished. 9 was a good score. Now it seemed we had a chance.

Next was Jake and it wasn't surprising when he got a 7. I believed that he might have been scored based on his brutality. But then, if it had been that way he would have gotten a 10.

Next was Oxen and I narrowed my eyes. He was huge and strong and could use his maces well. But nothing had prepared me for his outstanding 9 as well. Another guy with the same score as me! Another Outer District guy at that. Well, everyone knew he was a big threat.

Next was Leia with a 6. I couldn't help but feel a little down at that. Of course, it was good, but I hoped for at least a 7. That would have made us pretty popular as an alliance in the Capitol. Ah, no worries. She'd still get sponsors.

The last tribute was Tua, and I was again surprised that the psychotic girl got an 8. That was a very high score for someone as crazy as she was.

I closed my eyes. Right now, almost everyone seemed like a threat. Most of them had 7 and above which made it hard to finish them off. They were strong contenders and Leia and I had to especially keep an eye out for the loners and I needed to keep a low profile now. My 9 was a good thing but it could turn out to be a problem if I didn't handle the situation well.

But now, it was time to take some rest and relax my mind. We were so close... no, I shouldn't think about it.

Turning off the TV, I went towards my bedroom, hoping to get some rest.

 **Hi guys! I'm sorry for such a late update. It wasn't intentional but life was hectic for both of us. Anyway, what did you think of this chapter? And thank you all so much for asking about me! It was so sweet of you all I'm better now! :D**

 **Also we'll be in the arena next chapter so yay! However, if I kill your tribute, know that it's nothing against you.**

 **Thanks for for reading and have a nice day!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Bloodbath**

 **Charlie Leah Edison (18) D5F**

My feet shook as I stepped towards the tube. I did not like the feeling of going through it all again. The suffocation, the fear, the _helplessness_ of my situation had started to sink in, and despite fighting hard I couldn't stop the tears. My warm T-shirt and sweater did nothing to ease the cold I was feeling. With leaden steps, I started towards the tube. I was about to step inside when the door of the room opened and in barged my stylist.

"Charlie!" he cried out, "Do your best! I'm sorry I'm late cause I slept in but honestly, please know that I've got your best interests in mind! I'd be desperate if I couldn't say goodbye to your properly!"

I narrowed my eyes at him even as he ran over to me and crushed me in an unwanted embrace. I tried to push him off, but without success. Finally he released me, his eyes moist with tears.

"Oh Charlie!" he cried, "I wish-I wish it wasn't this way. You're too good to be gone and I loved working with you!"

I sighed at his statement. I guess it was his way of telling me that he wanted me to win and that he wished I would never have been reaped. It was a weird way but it meant… something.

"If it weren't for this occasion," I replied honestly, "I would've been happy to have you as my stylist as well."

He looked at me in utter sadness, and I felt horrible for being this way with him. But he had tried his best, so I squeezed his shoulder and smiled at him, hoping that he'd understand how much I appreciated his efforts.

Even if they wouldn't help me.

With a nod, I got inside the tube. For a few seconds everything was still, even after the glass walls had erected themselves. He showed me a thumbs-up and just then the tube started rising.

Just like last time, I felt like throwing up all over. My stomach was churning and my heart was beating so hard I thought it would smash the ribcage and jump out. Just when I thought I couldn't take it anymore, the tube stopped rising.

But I was not in the arena.

Everywhere around me was darkness. Overhead, I could see the sky, the pale blue light colour blinding me. No… this couldn't be happening!

"LET ME OUT!" I cried, banging on the glass as hard as I could, "This tube has stuck! Help!"

The tube did not move even a centimetre but I kept on shouting for help and banging the wall till my voice cracked and my knuckles started bleeding. And the oxygen… why did I think I was having difficulty breathing?

"HELP!"

But when I certainly couldn't breathe anymore, and was on the floor curled up, I knew that there would be no help. I heard the gong as if listening to a faraway train, going even further away. I was sure this was an 'example' for the victors. That we were nothing. That even if they won this particular game, or any game, they'd still be playthings for the Capitol.

So, I stopped pleading for help, and I tried to stop myself from struggling for breath. It was no use. In a way, I was lucky. At least I'd die here peacefully, away from all the gore…

 **Rodney Steel (23) D6M**

My legs were shaking as the tube ascended. Would there be enough food in the arena? And what would be the arena like? Did I have _any_ chance at all? For one thing, I didn't want to starve like last time. The mere memory of it was enough to make my knees go weak.

Finally, the tube stopped rising and the glass walls started retreating into the platforms. The cold wind hit me first. It was as if someone was slapping me hard. All around me all I saw was white, whiter than anything I'd seen. There were green trees, but they were also mostly white. The sky was clear blue but nothing flew overhead. The rustling of the wind was so strong that I could hear it like a low whistle.

Something white fell on me. I brought my hand forward and took it, even as more of it seemed to fly with wind from the ground and trees towards me.

Snow.

Had it not been such a circumstance, this place would have been exotic. Absolutely nothing as far as the eyes could see, except for a snow forest. The cornucopia was shaped like a semi-circular house, made of ice.

 _Igloo_.

From the back of my mind I recalled that foreign word. Igloo. There were no igloos anywhere. In ancient times people used to live in these. I wondered if there was enough food in the igloo.

"Where's Charlie?" Passion's voice rang out, and echoed in this beautiful land of death. I looked all around me. Indeed, the girl from Five was missing. Just as all of us registered this fact, a voice boomed in the air.

 _Due to a malfunction in the tube of Ms, Edison, she'll be unable to take part in this year's Hunger Games._

And after a few seconds, even as everyone was trying to overcome the shock and panic, the gong rang, and along with it a cannon.

It was so sudden that for a few moments nobody moved from their place. I was myself feeling extremely dizzy following this event. _She had died inside her tube._ That was no malfunction. It was done to show us our place.

Maybe Rajan had the same idea, for he let out a sigh, and was the first to move towards the cornucopia. Everyone seemed to snap out of their panic at that, and even as the man grabbed a sword and a bag and dashed towards the forest, only to have his path blocked by Jackdaw. Rajan swung his sword at him without even pausing for a second, and Jake ducked. In that moment Rajan pushed him back and then ran past him into the woods.

I saw Aiken, Geoffrey and Leia fighting Lakely and Ciera. The two women were deadly, and they were not really making much effort to kill Geoffrey, probably because he was a guy. Slowly, seeing that everybody was busy, I got down from my platform and started trotting towards the forest, trying not to be noticed. Well, that wasn't going to happen for long, as my huge size and slow speed made me an easy target, but I tried as hard as I could.

And just when I thought I'd made it, a hand grabbed my shoulder and yanked me backwards. My predator turned me around. Passion's eyes were cold and icy, just like the arena, and his hands flew at my neck and he twisted them around.

There was a _crack!_ and then there was nothing.

BOOM!

 **Jake "The Jackdaw" Dasby (32) D9M**

By the time I got up on my feet, Rajan had disappeared from sight.

I swore aloud, and then I saw Tua gesture at me. She pointed towards the cornucopia, which was closest to me. I looked around, seeing that every other tribute was busy fighting among themselves. I nodded at Tua and then ran towards the cornucopia.

The igloo was too low for me. I bent down, only to see that supplies this year were low. I yanked two bags randomly and two daggers, before retreating out of the cornucopia.

"STOP HIM!"

Passion's loud yell drew everyone's attention. I saw Ciera turn towards me, and she bent down, scooped up some snow, and threw it at me. I side stepped the childish attack and then started towards Tua, who was in turn keeping Passion away. Lakely was distracted by it, and Leia, Geoffrey and Aiken made their way towards the igloo.

I wanted to take out Geoffrey right now. He had too high a score, something that was undesirable. But escape was more important, especially with Ciera at my heels.

"Tua!" I called out and threw the knife at her so that she could catch it. And she could have done so, had Passion not pushed her from behind. The knife embedded itself in Tua's stomach.

My eyes widened as I saw her gasp in pain, her hand moving down slowly to the knife. No… it didn't look too deep. However, now that my knife had hit her, even though accidently, she was going to try to seek her revenge. So I had to hope that she'd die right now.

Passion pulled Tua towards himself and then wrenched out the knife, only to stab her right back in the throat.

BOOM!

I smirked as her lifeless body fell on the ground, her red blood fell on the white snow. I changed my direction and raced towards the woods. On the edge, I looked back once. There was somebody missing…

 _Oxen._

Where the hell was he? Now that I thought about it, I hadn't seen him at all after the countdown. He had disappeared just as Charlie's cannon had rung. Where was he?

This wasn't the time to worry about it. Even as the tributes still fought for supplies, I disappeared into the woods.

 **Aiken Harper (20) D7F**

It was my sheer luck that I found a tomahawk right within reach. I pulled it out, and saw Lakely outside, all alone. Ciera was with Passion, some distance away. Leia and Geoffrey were running away. I was the one with a weapon whereas Lakely was unarmed.

Her eyes darted back and forth from my weapon and my face. Enough was enough, and I thrust the tomahawk at her direction. She ducked and then rolled under the axe, before moving up behind me. She kicked at my knees but I jumped and turned around in mid-air, slicing the space ahead me with my tomahawk. She stepped back, and the axe almost sliced open her neck. I struck again, but she dodged the attack.

I hit her in the thigh, and luckily my target didn't miss. Her loud cry of pain was seemed to chill my blood. I looked back to see Passion and Ciera fighting Geoffrey and Leia. Geoffrey was the one with the weapon, a trident, and he was using it well. Passion's knife wasn't doing much to help him, although he used it well, but Geoffrey was keeping both himself and Leia safe.

I turned back to Lakely, who had managed to pull a machete from the cornucopia. My eyes widened. How long had I been looking at other tributes? It didn't matter, and I brought down the tomahawk. She blocked the attack with her machete. I pushed down hard and parried as hard as she could. With a yell she pushed back and I stumbled and fell.

Lakely still lay on the snowy ground, holding her machete tightly as if her life depended on it. Now that I saw it, I had hurt her deeper than I could have thought.

I was about to bolt off, when another cannon rang. Both of us turned towards the others. Passion had apparently led Geoffrey away while battling him, leaving Ciera and Leia alone. And Ciera had taken advantage of the situation and snapped Leia's neck. I knew it was not the right time to stay behind, and probably Geoffrey realised the same, for he pushed Passion away and ran from the spot. I went the other way. To my surprise, Ciera didn't try to stop either of us and neither did she go to help Lakely, who was still on the ground.

Passion staggered to his feet and rushed to her side, he said something, but I couldn't hear it. Not that it mattered. The woods were dark and they'd have to provide me with shelter and hiding place.

 **Oxen Bamby (46) D10M**

It would be very dark and cold here at night, I knew it.

I wasn't looking forward to evening. There was no light, no fire, nothing here. I wondered how I was going to survive once night fell.

For as long as I had walked, and as far as the eye could see, all I saw was cone shaped tress, covered in heaps of snow. My eyes were now yearning to see some color, for white was all that was visible. The greens of the trees were rare, and the barks were also snow clad. Not one animal was there. Only a deadly silence.

I still remembered when the first cannon had rung. Everyone had simply turned towards Charlie's platform, or where her platform should have been. I had taken the opportunity to make my escape quietly. By the time I had reached the edge of the woods, Rajan had snapped out of his initial shock and had made his move.

I sighed. I had never known the girl well, and had never spoken to her, but it was horrible that she was killed by the Gamemakers. In the tube. As far as I knew, nobody had ever died in a tube. She was the youngest, and I had a sneaking suspicion that she had been chosen for killing because of that very reason. It just made it clear that the youngest wouldn't be spared either. Anyway, if it was a regular Games, then she would have been one of the oldest.

But it was still very unexpected. And by now, there had been four cannons. Four people were dead, and only eight of us remained. These Games would last long, and I was looking forward for it to get over, hopefully with me walking out as the victor.

I needed to find a shelter here, in nowhere. I wanted to be asleep before night fell. It would be better that way.

I only hoped nobody would lose their way and end up walking into me sleeping.

 **Hello everyone. Long time no see! It's Reader here, presenting the worst bloodbath written in history, but ah. Bad writing happens sometimes. At least you can enjoy finding out hundreds of errors and shaking your heads at the pathetic quality. And that's something, isn't it?**

 **Okay, so the deaths. Well, I know this'll sound very weird, but we just offed a tribute from submitters who sent in two tributes. We loved all of them, and it was extremely hard for us to kill these amazing characters, but then that's what happens in Hunger Games so can't really avoid doing that.**

 **Eulogies:**

 **12th: Charlie Leah Edison- Charlie! I loved you Charlie! Writing you was so fun, and you were my personal favourite. You were angry, but you could be soft sometimes. You were a deep character and it's a shame you were submitted as a bloodbath. Thank you Icicle Light, for Charlie. Rest in peace Charlie Leah Edison, you'll be missed. At least you still have Passion.**

 **11th: Rodney Steel- Rodney was amazing. There was something so nice about him that I just loved him. But when it came to development and character arc, I think Aiken had a better scope for that. I couldn't really explain Rodney making it out alive out of bloodbath. Rest in peace Aiken, you'll be missed.**

 **10th: Tua Uling- Tua was the ultimate villain, and it was a blast writing her. The reason I killed her was that I personally preferred Oxen. Tua and Jake were pretty similar, and ultimately it came to one villain falling down. Rest in peace Tua, I'll miss you for your villainy. I hope you don't hate me for it Tracee. You still have Oxen! :D**

 **9th: Leia Foster- Again it came to Leia and Jake, and every story needs a villain, so Leia had to go. But believe me, Leia was really cool. Sally enjoyed writing her a lot, and I liked to work with her as well. She was a really believable character and I liked how team oriented she was, because I personally can't work in a team. Rest in peace Leia Foster.**

 **So yeah, that's done. We're in the final eight! Congratulations! Lol.**

 **See you next time. Have a good day!**


	11. Chapter 11

Day 1 Part 2

Ciera Keiper (28) D2F

"Lake! Lake! Hold on!"

I held my ally still in place. She was struggling hard to throw me off but I couldn't let that happen. There was no anesthesia in the igloo and she was just not ready to take off her trousers. One was the cold, which was terrible, and the other was Passion, whose presence was making her uncomfortable doing so. And so he placed his knees on her arms to hold her in place and I, despite her constant efforts to throw me off, was successful in taking off her trousers. She started shivering, and the snow on the ground seemed to turn her skin pale with every passing second.

"Hold on!" Passion said, stroking her hair as he kept her down, "You're a Career. Fight the pain!"

His words seemed to take some effect on her, for she tried to not kick me anymore. But the sudden jerky movements due to the cold couldn't be avoided.

She shut her eyes when I applied the ointment. It must have hurt and stung a lot but she didn't cry out. She tried to keep herself still as Passion cradled her gently and said something in her ear. It must have been something interesting because it diverted her mind for long enough for me to patch up the wound.

Following that, I helped her back into her trousers and he released her arms. She sat up immediately and with such a force that Passion fell back, and then looked at him fiercely.

"You're so heavy!" She cried out, "My arms are numb. I can't feel them!"

"Sorry."

Then she turned towards me and smiled brightly and warmly, the warmth was such that if it were real the snow would have melted.

"Thank you," she said softly, "Thank you for helping me out, Ciera."

"No problem," I replied.

Yeah, it was stupid of me to help her. It would have been better had I killed her as soon as I saw she couldn't move with that injury. But I couldn't bring myself to do so. I cursed myself internally for blowing away my chance but... I couldn't use it.

Passion wrapped a blanket around Lakely, and then held the other one out.

"Only one more. Will you share?"

Wrapping a blanket around me with a boy was the last thing I wanted to do and I was sure he felt the same. We looked at each other awkwardly, unable to figure out a response.

"One of you can share with me if you want," Lake said with a smile, "It's so big anyway."

"Good idea," I said, relieved that I wouldn't have to be in contact with a man to keep myself warm. It would be better with Lake.

"Okay then! How about we both share, Passion, and Ciera gets her own? She's the eldest here after all."

I narrowed my eyes at her. Why was she asking him? I was certain she was planning to turn him to her side and take me out. She'd act like his friend and persuade him into killing me, bringing her one step closer to victory.

He seemed to be thinking the same, for a frown appeared on his face for a split second, only to be replaced by a smile that was fake.

Our eyes met, and I shook my head at him. He nodded back.

I wasn't going to let this happen. No way was I going to lose. Two people could play this game.

Rajan "The Reaver" Khan (34) D3M

Four cannons for the bloodbath. I wished Jake and Tua were two of them.

It was unfortunate the way that girl died. Her platform was right next to mine, completely empty. What was she thinking when she died? Did she suffocate? Did it hurt? I couldn't belueve it happened. I was wondering during training itself if it was possible, and I had in my mind ridiculed the idea...

What about now?

I didn't want to contemplate on that. However, it couldn't be denied that she was the youngest and that it was the height of unfairness to not even give her a chance.

But for now, I had some pressing matters to deal with. The biggest of them was the cold, and the sweater did about nothing to help. When snowfall would begin, there would be even fewer options.

I tried to shake the snow off a branch... only to realise that the thickness of the snow was all that kept the trees stable. I wondered if I could make a small igloo of my own. But... no. That wouldn't work. How would I start anyway?

So I plopped down against one of the trees, trying to ignore the sameness of this place. The bag... Gingerly, I unzipped it, expecting nothing useful but hoping for something anyway.

It was surprising, and somewhat pleasing, to see a full water bottle except... the water was frozen. Like, it was completely ice. At the top of the bottle, cracks had also started to form. I slapped my forehead.

Then there was a rope, which could be useful. And gloves. Gloves! In a second I put them on, and warmth and feeling started to return to my numb fingers.

There were some canned fish and a medical kit, which could be useful too. But the lack of water was what worried me. However, the fact that I had it but could not use it was just... too overwhelming. It was like the attraction of the earth for the sun. Strong but with no scope.

The sun was high in the sky, and that at least was some good. I held up my water bottle, willing the ice to melt, hoping that the weak sun would do something. But no. Not at all.

I wanted to throw away the bottle, and was about to do so when my brain asked my arm to stop. Wait... it was frozen. Frozen! If something were to happen to my machete, I could still use this. Ice was as bad as metal. And this ice wasn't going to melt any time soon.

Holding it with both hands, I slowly put it back in my bag and took out the rope instead. This was going to help me a lot if I used it correctly. Sure, I couldn't sleep in a tree, but that didn't mean I couldn't set up some security for myself. After all, anyone or anything could come knocking.

Ah, now it would be fun.

Geoffrey Guilford (38) D8M

I couldn't save her. Not after everything we planned, not after how hard I tried, I just couldn't. Sure, it may be said that it had to happen in the Games but I was feeling... ashamed.

Leia could have been with me right now. She was so young too... At twenty-two she had so much to go back to. It wasn't gonna happen now.

I glanced at the bag I had. Was it worth the sacrifce? There was nothing extremely useful in there anyway. A packet of chips. A water bottle. A matchbox. A bottle of spirit. Were all these things worth her life? I wasn't so sure.

I sighed. Victors had to face such hardships. These feelings were not alien to me. But... maybe I'd gotten too comfortable. As a child there was always a fear of being Reaped. There was no opportunity to relax and calm myself. But after winning, I had no reason to worry about anything.

Or so I thought.

And so I was totally not prepared for this. This guilt that threatened to consume me. Finish me.

With a loud sigh, I struggled to get on my feet. Then I bent down to pick up my trident when something weird happened.

It was as if I could see wind itself. Faint white, misty swirls that were too fast to look at for long. What was this?

I clutched my trident tightly, ready to attack if a mutt threw itself at me. But could I fight wind? Something that I couldn't touch?

A single leaf flew at me, and I caught it gingerly. Keeping it slightly away from myself, I turned it around to see it more clearly.

A single red dot was painted on it. The dot was so perfect and so bright that for a second I forgot all about the graveness of this arena and had to appreciate color. In this snowy wasteland, anything bright was a treasure. And red stood out starkly.

It was also the shade of blood.

On that happy thought, I dropped the leaf on the ground. Blood... why the hell was it red?! It could be any other color!

Before I could think further or act, the leaf started quivering on the spot. It shook as if having convulsions, and looked almost comical. I retreated back hastily, grabbing my bag. I had to get away soon.

But at the same time I could not take my eyes off this leaf... or what used to be the leaf.

Right in front of my eyes, it was growing. Growing to a plant, which was illogical. But one thing I had learned was that the arena and things inside it were devoid of logic. So this plant grew, and I couldn't figure out what it was. The only thing that both interested as well terrify me was the it was red. As red and as bright as that single dot.

I stepped back, away from it, when I saw those pearly swirls around that plant. Soon, it stopped growing, and from it dropped a...

... tomato.

I felt very dizzy. The sight in front of me was something more than bizzare and weird and strange and whatever other word that could be used. A tomato? A leaf turned turned into a plant which gave a TOMATO?! Were these Gamemakers kidding with me?!

Nevertheless, I stepped closer and crouched down. Slowly, I picked up the tomato for reasons unknown to myself. And then bit.

I ended up biting my tongue.

With a cry of pain I yanked my hand back, only to see that there was no plant, no tomato. Nothing. The leaf was there but without the dot.

The only thing that was present there were faint white wind, moving at too fast a pace. I realized what it was all about. Groaning, I clutched my trident even tighter than before. Sure, my experience was comical, but the fact that the very wind here was forcing illusions on me wasn't.

I needed to be careful.

 **HIIIII! Sally here! It's good to be back and I hope you liked this. A few filler chapters are important too, right? Hopefully, it wasn't too boring! Ah I'm literally fangirling about the characters I'm writing! Lol. Anyway, we'll appreciate your thoughts on this.**

 **Have a good day!**

 **PS: Caleb, I know boys and girls won't kill each other but we decided to do normal placings anyway, and to leave out 2nd place. I know it has flaws but... *shrugs***


	12. Chapter 12

**Day 1 Part 3**

 **Lakely "Lake" Holt (19) D4F**

When night fell, it seemed as if the whole world had come to a standstill. Nothing moved in this vast cold landscape and the very air felt unfriendly and hostile. I personally felt as if I was a part of a beautiful portrait. The arena was so beautiful, it would be a feast for the eye for any spectator. But did anyone know what it was like to be a part of the painting? I doubted that.

Being so close to Passion was not very comfortable, but I found his presence to be much friendlier than Ciera's. And although I felt slightly weird sharing my blanket with him, with our arms around each other. But it was so damn cold that I was certain that I'd die if it wasn't for the warmth.

We had put up a small fire after shaking the snow off many of the twigs. The warmth was something very welcoming and Ciera let out a sigh of content.

"Today has passed by rather peacefully," she said as she held out her palms close to the flame.

"True."

"Tomorrow we have to hunt," Passion said smoothly. I looked at him sideways only to find him staring at the flame fiercely enough to burn it- again.

"Yeah we have to," Ciera agreed, "People shouldn't think that the Careers have gotten weak."

With that, she took a gulp of the newly liquified water.

I joined Passion in staring at the flames as well. I could kill Ciera tonight, desert Passion and finish off Aiken the next day. It wasn't going to be that hard. And whatever anyone said, I did not wish to kill any of the males, not even the Jackdaw. After all, there was only so much blood a person could have on their hands. Killing the guys was unnecessary.

However, something was holding me back. Maybe it was the fact that Ciera had a daughter back home. A daughter she didn't get a chance to know properly. No, don't get me wrong. I planned on winning. But a sneak attack in the dead of night wasn't... right. And anyway, if I moved out of the blanket, Passion would know and he'd try to stop me. I didn't want to hurt him. After all, we were friends from before this. Two misunderstood Career victors...

"I think we should take out the Jackdaw first," I said. The other two looked up at me curiously. Maybe they thought I'd run madly after Aiken.

"Guys, he is actually the biggest threat for all three of us. He's out for blood, not victory. The only reason for him to kill is the thirst for blood."

"True that," Passion declared loudly, "But we should decide who'll keep the first watch. I am willing to do so."

"All right," Ciera replied, "I'll watch after you."

"And I'll follow," I said brightly, cursing her internally. She suspected that I'd try to take her out by taking him on my side. But I wouldn't let that affect me. I had no intention of killing her right now.

"Well then, good night ladies."

"Good night!"

 **Passion Hart (24) D1M**

The politics were intense between the two girls but I was sure neither would eliminate the other while Aiken roamed freely. Neither really concerned me but... I felt responsible for HER. Why, I didn't know. Maybe she reminded me of my young friend Esmeralda. They had the same spark in their eyes, and despite their strength the same vulnerability.

Thinking of Esmeralda I let out a deep sigh. I was missing her so badly right now. If I had tried to stop her from volunteering I would have nothing to worry about. I could just live with her in my house and I wouldn't have to volunteer. We could have been a family. An incomplete family but still.

In spite of the fire I was feeling cold now. Maybe it was because Lake was sharing her blanket with Ciera. My eyes stung as I tried to control my tears. Pretending to be like the 'Classic Career' was no easy thing. It killed me every second to pretend that I relished the murders. And I had killed the most tributes till now. There was nowhere I could cry, nowhere I could run off to. The world had isolated me in this frozen land.

"Why're you looking so down?"

I almost jumped a mile on hearing that. Grapping my sword, I wheeled around instantly, only to see Lakely standing behind me innocently.

"Oh um, sorry for that."

"Why're you up?" I asked as I lowered my weapon.

"I couldn't sleep," she said softly as she sat down on the snowy ground too. Shaking my head, I joined her. Now she'd talk about abandoning Ciera.

"Why couldn't you sleep?"

"I- there are only three girls now, Passion. This is half way over for us-"

"And you want to end the other half. You want me to help you off Ciera."

That wasn't a question and she knew it. Without looking at me, she nodded slowly.

"Forget it."

"What?"

"Yeah. Forget it. Ciera and I've been friends for a long time. And I have no need to kill girls this time around."

"I'm your friend too."

I looked at her pretty face for a second before responding. Yeah, she was my friend too.

"I know. And hence I won't tell her about this conversation. I'll also help you both get rid of Aiken. After that, I can't help either of you."

She nodded again and smiled. Yawning, she brought her palms to the flame for warmth and then sighed.

"Thanks bud. Knew I could rely on you to at least be neutral."

I detected a hint of sarcasm in her voice but decided to ignore it in this dead night. Fussing about her wouldn't make things easy for me and so I simply nodded at her response. I wished she'd go to sleep soon so that I could be left alone with my thoughts.

Maybe she realised what I wanted and so she got up and smiled again.

"I think I'll try to sleep again. Good night Passion."

"Good night Lake. And sweet dreams."

It was a relief when she started walking away and finally I let out a single tear cascading down my eye. They were my friends. Ciera had a daughter back home. Lake was herself little more than a child. How could I turn on any of them?

I frowned. This was not a place to get emotional. If anything, they'd weaken me. And I couldn't afford to be weak. I had to get back home to my Esmeralda.

And for that I'd have to fight.

 **I know this is very late and short! But these two were the only ones who didn't have in-game POVs till now so I decided to cover just them. I know this chapter sucks and I'm sorry but next tine I promise someone will be offed. I don't wanna kill off anyone but I'll have to. :( Anyways, see you next time!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Day 2 Part 1**

 **Geoffrey Guilford (38) D9M**

I was mildly surprised that there had been no deaths after the bloodbath till now. For all I knew, there were three Careers, one Jake and one Rajan who had absolutely no problem with killing. That was quite a lot, and I wondered if they had formed an alliance of sorts.

My back was stiff from sleeping in the snow all night, keeping my ears awake. The cold was worse in the morning, but the clear sky was something I had never seen. I doubted anyone else had seen it either. It was a beautiful shade of blue, with a very weak sun. the cold winds rattled me up completely, and the sweater did nothing to help out.

I grabbed my trident hard and started walking in deeper. No, there was no compulsion to move, but knowing the Gamemakers, they'd get bored of people who stayed around one place for long. And I couldn't risk that.

One thing that bothered me were my footsteps that were etched deep in the snow. If anybody wanted to, they could follow me around pretty easily. Of course, I'd be able to detect them too which might result in direct conflict. Well, the Capitol would be happy, I supposed…

The eerie silence of the arena threatened to consume me. I missed my wife right now. I wished I was at home, sitting with her, sipping my morning coffee without a care, free to live my life. But here I was, all alone, my ally did, my opponents strong. There had been only one male death so far, and I despised myself for wishing that the other four would drop dead soon.

Maybe it was the cold wind, maybe it was the rustling of the snow-clad branches, but I felt as if something was moving. Something that shouldn't be there.

I gripped my trident harder and wheeled around to see if there were any footsteps behind me, but there were none. I let out a sigh and then started walking again. _Don't be paranoid Geoffrey!_

I came to a halt again, certain that there was a _creak_ of stepping on a twig. I looked back again but there was nobody. Frowning, I contemplated about mutts. I had seen yesterday after all that the wind in this arena could mess with my brain. Maybe it was messing up with my brain. Shaking my head, in started again, but slowly this time. If there was another sound, I'd look around the foliage more carefully.

It never came to that.

I thrust my trident to the right but it missed. Instead, a huge stone hit my hand holding the weapon. With an agonising cry, I dropped it even as the bone cracked. That was all that he needed. As quick as a cheetah he grasped the trident and shoved it into my abdomen.

The pain that seared through every cell of my body was more than I could possibly describe. As I removed my hands from the wound I saw them drenched in the colour red. The Jackdaw's face looked incredibly blurred right now, and I shrieked, hoping that it would make me come to my senses.

Another round of excruciating pain as he pulled out the trident. But now, I had no strength to scream. All I could do was gasp before everything went dark and I fell on the white snow.

 **Aiken Harper (20) D7F**

Stumbling upon the least expected person was the last thing I wanted.

Oxen looked pretty scared and I didn't know why. He was almost trembling to be honest, and like a good tribute who didn't have to kill the boys, I sat down next to him and touched his shoulder comfortingly.

The big man started at my touch and his hand shot forward. However, it stopped mid-air as he saw it was me, and then he frowned. The trembling of his body stopped and he eyed me from head to toe.

"What do you want?" he asked roughly. Maybe he was cursing me for seeing him in his frightened state. There was no reason to be shy about it. After all, anyone who wasn't afraid was a ***.

"I was just wondering how you're doing."

He let out an exasperated sigh at that and continued to stare back. I shrugged and sighed and then replied, "Fine. I was wondering if you're okay. You didn't look too good."

"What's it to you if I'm fine or not?"

"Look, Oxen, I don't really care, okay? But I don't hate you either, and you're certainly not in my special foes list, so relax. I have no reason to fear you, and hence no reason to not enquire on your health."

"My health is fine," he replied curtly, "What you saw was due to the cold."

I laughed at that. The cold, huh? Pretty easy putting the blame on the cold. I slapped him on the arm and he looked up in alarm at my audacity. But really, why was he surprised?

"Oh! I forgot you were afraid of the dark!"

He turned a violent shade of red at that, and turned completely to face me.

"That is _not_ true!"

"Your face reveals it! You're scared! You're scared!"

"I'm-"

Just as he started aggressively, the sound of the cannon exploding echoed in the arena, almost giving me a heart attack. It was so sudden that it blew my breath away. I looked at Oxen, who had a deep frown on his face. A few moments passed and then I cleared my throat awkwardly.

"So, uh, I was saying, uh, would you be allies with me?"

He looked down at me as if noticing me for the first time. His eyes seemed to soften as he continued to look at me and ultimately he nodded.

"Okay. Just don't annoy me."

"Certainly not, sir!" I said with a sly grin, "And I'll even help you fight the dark."

"I'm telling you one last time girl, I do NOT fear the dark."

"Okay, if you say so."

He turned away at that and I resisted chuckling at that. Being allies with him would be fun, and hopefully both of us would be able to make it out. Alive.

 **Passion Hart (24) D1M**

"Somebody is taking away our kills!" I screamed aloud. It was a show, of course it was, but I had to sound convincing to make the audience believe that I was a classic Career.

Ciera almost dropped water bottle at my loud outburst whereas Lake started laughing like an idiotic little girl.

"You look _so_ adorable when screaming!"

I shot her a mocking glare, which made her try to stifle her laughter, which, in turn, made her laugh even harder than before. "Sorry," she said between her giggles.

"This is serious. I'm sure it was Jake," Ciera said solemnly, "Nobody is quite as bloodthirsty and eager as him."

"We need to hunt him down!" I cried, "We have to start _now!_ "

Lake frowned at my words and then looked at the little knife in her hand. The knife was no larger than her palm, and it was as think as her little finger, but in her hands it was deadly.

"Now?" she asked, "Why don't we just wait for him to wipe out the opposition?"

"Because we are also included in his 'opposition'," Ciera said and then asked the question none of us wanted to answer, "Who did he kill?"

All of us started looking at each other in turn. I knew they were both contemplating on the possibility of a dead Aiken, but I wasn't so sure. When the two girls couldn't look at each other any longer, they turned to me.

"What?" I asked, "How would I know?"

"You wouldn't…"

"Of course, I don't!" I replied, irritated, "I don't have another travelling eye to see everything happening."

Ciera's shoulders slumped at that and she let out a deep breath before picking up a bag. She looked at Lake and said, "You should stay here and guard the cornucopia wile Passion and I go and try to get us some kills."

The younger girl just stared blankly for a second and for a moment I feared she'd refuse and cause a war. But as cunning as she was, she smiled widely and nodded.

"Of course, Ciera! No need to worry! I'll look after the cornucopia. You both can go freely. But don't forget to take some food and water and medical supplies with you."

"Good. We'll be back by evening, I think."

"We'll try to," I corrected, "Can't really promise."

"Yeah, we'll try to," Ciera agreed, "But we'll definitely come back with a kill. The Careers are a force to be reckoned with."

"Agreed. Look after yourself Lake. Don't get distracted by your laughing."

She looked at me at that and laughed again before putting her hands to her mouth to stop. I was almost positive she did it on purpose.

"Well then, good luck guys. Come back with a good news,"

 **I know, a quick update. This is Reader, bringing to you the first part of the second day. I wrote it in like forty minutes, so I doubt it will be good, but I hope you enjoy this nonetheless. And now…**

 **Eulogies:**

 **8** **th** **: Geoffrey Guilford- Geoffrey was amazing. He had a pretty interesting backstory, a very interesting personality and he was very smart as well. Had there been more tributes he would have lasted longer, and it was honestly painful to kill him, but it was honestly time for him to go. Writing him was a blast, really. Rest in peace Geoffrey. You'll be missed.**

 **Well then, hope to listen from you all soon. Have a great day!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Day 2 Part 2**

 **Jake "The Jackdaw" Dasby (32) D9M**

Killing Geoffrey had been a piece of cake. The big hunk hadn't expected that anyone would be following him by hiding behind the trees all the while. Poor guy kept on looking for non-existent footsteps. If he had inspected the trees around him better, he would have seen me in clear sight. I wasn't hidden all too well, for the trees were pretty thin. But he didn't, and paid the price.

I decapitated his body after he died but sadly, he wouldn't know the pain. The fingernails were gone, and all that was left was red blood on white snow. It was beyond beautiful, and my heart swelled with pride at the artistic way I had destroyed him.

But now wasn't the time to think too much on it. Now was the time to slay even more. Kill even more. It didn't matter who it was, they had to die. Not just for me to win, but for me to enjoy.

Wait, that sounded like a poem- almost. Ha! A good kill could certainly make The Jackdaw poetic. That was the beauty of Art. That was the power of fun.

The trident that I had acquired from my now deceased friend would be immense use. It felt good in my hand, with its points all smeared up in red. I now had to find a new target for this beauty, and then I could relax a bit. With that happy thought I smiled, wondering if I would have been this free had Tua been around. It was kind of nice that she wasn't around anymore. I had two kills to my credit, after all.

Just as that thought struck me, a _chime!_ sounded and I looked up to see a silver parachute gently floating downwards. I caught the large package it carried and ripped off the wrapper almost savagely. Inside was one beautiful woollen jacket with intricate designs. It was a nice shade of white, which was good for camouflaging. Letting out a chuckle, I put it on. Instantly warmth started spreading through my body and I sighed in content. It was amazing. If only I could sleep now…

 _NO!_

Sleep was one's worst enemy here. Shaking my head, I snapped myself out of my drowsy state and looked up at the clear sky.

"Thanks everyone for your love. You can count on me to entertain you further!"

Although I couldn't hear it, I knew everyone in the Capitol cheered whereas in the Districts they groaned. Not that it mattered. They were weak and filthy and cared nothing for their residents. The Capitol at least looked after the Capitolites.

Maybe I got too engrossed in my thoughts but the next second I saw I had stepped on something uneven. It was a rope… a rope! I tried to pull back my feet, but the rope tightened around my ankle, and with a cry I found myself dangling from a tree upside down. Just when I thought nothing else could go wrong, something came flying towards me in an arc. Before I could even register what was happening, it hit me on the head. It was almost as if I had been hit with a metal rod.

A loud cry from me, and excruciating pain and then nothing.

 **Rajan "The Reaver" Khan (34) D3M**

My eyes snapped open as I heard the loud cry. Getting up quickly to my feet, I peeped from behind the tree I was hiding. There was Jake, hanging upside down from my trap, and there went the ice bottle in an arc, crashing right into his head. There was a terrible sound of bones breaking, and after that came the welcoming sound of cannon ringing.

I released the breath that I hadn't realised I was holding. He was dead… I remembered clearly how he'd attacked me yesterday during the bloodbath. And now the position was reversed. I walked over to his corpse shakily. His dead eyes still held a cruelty that lived in them during life. Slowly, I untied the rope from his ankle and his dead body fell at my feet with a thump.

It was hard ignoring the corpse, but I walked around it to untie the rope. I had to set up the trap back again, and who knew if something came along again? Shoving Jake aside and taking his jacket off him, I put it on and heaved a sigh of relief. This cold was killing me. It was a relief this fellow came along, for he also had food and water. Water was something I _so_ needed at this time. It had been more than twenty-four hours since I'd had even a sip of water, and now I drank lustily, enjoying the trickling of the liquid down my throat. It was extremely cold too, but at least it was not solid like my bottle.

The chopper was coming now. With a sigh, I moved away from the corpse of Jake Dasby, back to the tree where I had to set my trap. The sound of the hovercraft was deafening, and it was a hard job ignoring it, but I did so anyway as I continued to tie the rope around the branch. My arms felt as if they'd detach from their sockets, but this method had already been proven useful and effective.

I leaned against another tree and watched as the hovercraft started taking flight again. Its rotors were spinning fast, circulating the cold air so efficiently that I shivered again. Soon, it was in the air, and after that it was gone.

I watched the sky as I saw the hovercraft disappear. They came to collect the dead, and they also came to collect the victor. As such I wouldn't care how I'd go in it but now, seeing Jake dead, I kind of wished I would leave this place as a victor. Death didn't scare me, but another go at life wouldn't be bad either.

Whatever the case, for now I had to wait again. I didn't know whether the person who died earlier was male or female, and hence I couldn't relax. I'd have to hide again. Before that though, I'd have to cover all the blood with snow.

And that's when I noticed the footsteps… earlier I had covered them and taken a different way to a different tree. Now I'd have to cover them again.

Well then, there was work to do now.

 **Ciera Keiper (28) D2F**

"There goes another one," I said with a sigh as the canon echoed throughout the arena, rattling the branches and making the very sky tremor in response. However, my ally's reaction to this was priceless. His eyebrows furrowed deeply and his mouth turned downward while his lips parted in annoyance. The expression on his face made me laugh in a place like this, and soon I was clutching his arm tightly as his expression worsened.

"I'd love to take a picture!" I said with a chuckle, "Just look at yourself!"

His shoulders slumped and he gave me a weak grin. "Well, it seems funny, doesn't it?"

"It does, actually."

"I'm glad someone is happy," he said, and then sighed, "We _need_ to make a kill, Ciera. It's not even about pride anymore. It's a necessity at this point."

"You're right…" I replied, my laughter one now. We had to _kill._ I couldn't digest it even after this being my second day here. That I was actually in this position _again_. _That I had to kill and it was a necessity._ My throat seemed to turn dry at the thought. No, I wasn't above killing but… I didn't want to. I was sure my ally wasn't either. But he was just much better at pretending to be enjoying this although every single person knew that the Capitol wasn't buying it.

And then _things_ happened. I could literally see white swirls of wind blowing in front of me. A smell of cherries accompanied it and I frowned. I shouldn't be able to _see_ wind.

"Passion, I think we… Passion?"

I turned to my ally, only to see him staring at me almost blankly. It felt as if I was looking at a statue, completely expressionless and immobile. There was something wrong… I grabbed his arm and shook him hard, yelling out his name. He blinked and then looked around awkwardly.

"Are you okay?!" I asked nervously, "Do you need anything?!"

He held my shoulders tightly at that, and pulled me in closer. His eyes were dazed, and as he leaned in, I pushed him back hard. This wasn't happening! What the hell happened to him?!

"Argenta…" he whispered as he started moving towards me again. This time however, I saw pain and love in his eyes simultaneously as he closed in. Who was Argenta? Maybe his partner? His fiancée? His friend? I didn't know, but if he was mistaking me for this woman it was a bad thing. My experience with men hadn't been good at all, and the way he was closing the distance between us was… scary.

I didn't even realize that I was cornered against a tree. My eyes widened as he pulled me into a hug, and then lifted my chin. As he neared, still in a trance, I did the only thing that would help me. I slapped him as hard as I could, and he went sprawling on the ground. He looked up now, confused, and then got to his feet.

"Why was I on the ground? And why does my cheek hurt so badly?"

"Relax, you're okay now," I said, even though it was I who was visibly shaken up.

"Now?" he asked in confusion.

"Yeah. I'll tell you. But first, we must leave."

 **Another quick update! I'm personally happy with how this is going, but knowing us we might slack just after saying that. Sally has been busy, and hence she just wrote the last POV, which I think is better than the other two. Anyways, it will be great if you all can share your feedback on this chapter. Your thoughts are appreciated and we love reviews!**

 **Eulogies:**

 **7** **th** **: Jake Dasby- JAKE! You were awesome! Seriously, we both loved working with you! You were SO evil but had such a legitimate reason to be so! Sadly, the end of this might be soon, and hence you had to go. It was fun writing you and you had two kills to your credit, which is a big thing when there are only twelve people around. Rest in peace.**

 **So, I hope you enjoyed this. And guys, I hope you all are reading. I know this isn't our best work, and that updates take a long time, but we are doing what we can to make this work, and I can assure you that this will definitely be completed.**

 **Have a great day!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Day 2 Part 3**

 **Oxen Bambi (42) D10M**

When night fell, an eerie silence fell upon the woods and the occassional sounds of the unknown insects and other beasts was really disturbing. In this icy terrain, with only a litre of freezing water to be shared by two people, and unfriendly circumstances, any foreign sound gave me a mini heart attack. And then there was the dark itself... the dim light from the stars above did absolutely nothing to help. I missed my torch right now, I missed my home, I missed my wife and I missed my son.

"The fire's ready Oxen!"

The shrill sound of her voice made me open my eyes reluctantly. I had no wish to face the darkness of the world. However, what I saw was a light, a light that seemed to scare away the darkness itself. A small flame danced a few feet away from me, driving away everything bad and calling upon everything good. The girl sat dangerously close to it, her feet almost touching the flames. She sighed in content and then waved at me to call me over.

One thing that I'd never admit was that I was glad of her presence. Last night had been terrible. The sounds, the darkness, the cold winds against my skin made me tremble, and no amount of thinking of 'good times' helped. Maybe because there were no good times in the first place and I had not been this alone in years.

But Aiken was young and lively, and had a vocabulary that would make a sailor blush. She was so different from my Darren but they were approximately the same age. Even as Aiken grinned like an elf, my son's more matured face flashed in front of my eyes. My poor boy! I missed him so much. Usually parents are there for children but in my case it was the other way round. My son was always there for me.

"Earth to Oxen! Earth to Oxen!"

I looked away from the flame at the girl, who was staring at me as if she'd seen some other worldly being, and then asked me to join her. Nodding, I settled down close to the warmth of the fire, watching the flames dance in the horrible night.

"I hope you aren't as scared now," she said, keeping a straight face.

I scowled at the little brat and chided her, "It's not a wise thing to make such assumptions. I'm telling you one final time kid, I do not fear the dark."

She shrugged nonchalantly, and then said after a pause of around twenty seconds, "I should put out the fire then. It'll attract attention."

I could feel the heat reach my cheeks at the embarrassment. This girl! I knew she was fooling around but I couldn't risk it.

"Uh no."

"No?" She asked, stiffling a smile.

"No," I said firmly, "Warmth is important too."

She raised her brows at that and then sighed, shaking her head all the while, possibly muttering something that I didn't get. But I was nonetheless happy for her presence. At least I had company in this ordeal.

 **Lakely "Lake" Holt (19) D4F**

Should I be worried?

That was the thought that crossed my mind now, as I saw the stars appear one by one in the clear black sky.

"We will be back by night," they had said.

"We'll make a kill for sure," they said.

But they hadn't made an appearance at the igloo yet, and the second death today had happened too soon after they left. I was worried that one of them might be the second death... and despite that I fought this thought. They were Careers! They couldn't be dead! But even as I paced the area, with the igloo in the center, I couldn't keep these thoughts off.

I didn't even want Ciera to be dead... but a part of me did. She was an opponent but I had started liking her and dreaded killing her myself. I kind of wished she got killed off by someone or something else because I didn't want her blood in my hands but at the same time I didn't want her to die. And it was necessary for her to die!

But if Passion died... no. I didn't want that at all. He was a friend, and whatever he said, I knrw he cared. Plus, I also knew that I liked him. No, it wasn't a sudden realization. I blushed as I thought about the time when I first felt a liking for him. It had been just after my victory, when he had been the only victor who'd treated me well and not like a cowardly and undeserving winner. No... this wasn't a time to think about all that. It may distract me and that, I couldn't afford.

My own thoughts were driving me mad now, and I felt like tearing my hair out. I felt like shouting and screaming and crying and running simultaneously. Who were the two deaths?! Was it Ciera? Was it Passion? Were they hurt?

"AAHHHHH!" I screamed at the top of my voice, my eyes shut tightly. My throat hurt, my head ached and my heart felt as if it had been filled with lead. I sighed, panting for no reason whatsoever, and then sat down, pulling my knees to my chest and looking up at the sky. Soon the faces would be displayed. I hoped against hope that my allies' faces wouldn't show up there, among the stars. Ironic, wasn't it? Usually, people would like to be a star but here being among the stars was the end.

I had nothing to do anymore and I just stared at the clear sky, waiting for the faces to show up.

 **Another filler chapter! This was pretty boring, I'd say, but eh. The ending would be soon, maybe, I don't know. But we'll try to complete it as fast as possible. Sally has finals as of now, but I'd get the updates out. Anyway, I don't think this was written well for it took me twenty minutes on the phone, so I hope it was bearable. But still, I hope you enjoyed.**

 **Have a good day everyone!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Day 3 Part 1**

 **Rajan "The Reaver" Khan (34) D3M**

It was funny how we got from six to just three. I had honestly thought that the girls might be leaving sooner and that the arena would be left to the boys but it seemed now that it wasn't going to happen. In all honesty, I was glad of it. There were only two more men to take down and then I could walk away as the winner and continue doing my research.

But really, one thing my return to this place taught me was that somewhere in my heart I cared about my survival. All this while I had thought I didn't but when I saw Jake dead, that too at my hands... something happened. I knew nothing anymore except that I HAD to get out of this arena alive.

And hence, the trap was ready and I was concealed from the prying eyes. It was a shame that I couldn't spare the girls from my attack, for the trap couldn't decide whether the tresspasser was a man or a woman. It would be almost funny if the female victor was announced because of my traps.

Leaning back, I drank the sponsored warm water almost lustily. In this cold, where I thought I, or really anyone, could die, anything warm was rather welcoming. Plus, my arid throat had come to a point of revolting against my body. Jake's death had been beneficial, to say the least.

But that didn't mean I could relax just yet. Both Oxen and Passion were strong and dangerous; Passion was way too skilled and Oxen was way too strong. In fact, I'd have to think of a new trap for Oxen aa he was too heavy to actually be caught dangling and he much more skilled with a mace than I was with a sword.

Before I could form a plan though, I heard the voices of my least favorite people, and knew that things were going to probably go bad now.

 **Lakely "Lake" Holt (19) D4F**

I had had enough by the time dawn came around. Leaving the cornucopia pretty much unprotected, I left with a knife and a backpack in search of my allies. They hadn't shown up at all last night and there had been no other canon, for which I was grateful. Even as I ran past all the snow clad trees, their branches and leaves pricking my skin, I kind of wished the second death was Ciera. I had been thinking this too much last night and today was no different. I just did not want to take her life by myself. In all honesty, although I'd never admit it, I regretted volunteering for this.

But someone has said it right: hard work pays off. I thought it took me around three hours of constant motion to locate them, but when I did so, it was at in the most unexpected and honestly embarrassing position.

The two looked as if they were drugged. They had their eyes closed and they were both on the ground... but Ciera was in his arms. They were tangled up so weirdly that it was almost impossible to think they could be separated. Passion was sweating despite the cold, and whimpering about something whereas Ciera just patted his head slowly, in an almost drowsy manner. The stupid and yet somewhat indecent image in front of me made me snap.

It didn't matter how much I yelled at them, or tried to pry them off each other, they didn't budge. It was as if they were in a trance and couldn't notice anything. Or maybe... they were in a trance.

With a sigh, I did the one thing I thought could work. Taking my bottle, I splashed the icy cold water right on their faces. And nose. And ears.

"AAHH!"

 **Aiken Harper (20) D7F**

"There are six of us left, Oxen," I said, pacing the icy ground in front of my huge ally, "Two opponents each for both of us."

"That's still a lot," he said, somewhat sourly, "It won't be that easy."

I sighed as I came to a halt. He was right, as always. It would be especially tough for me as my competition was only with Careers. And they were physically stronger too. Of course, Oxen also had Passion and Rajan to beat, which wasn't going to be easy. The boys were smart, and strong and alert. Although Oxen could still be positive for he beat everyone in the arena where physical strength was concerned.

"Oxen," I said solemnly, "I don't think staying at one place is wise. We should move. There can be mutts around."

"There hasn't been a single mutt around."

Nonetheless, he picked his giant self from the icy ground and was standing in front of me the next moment, his maces ready in his hands. I whistled at that and clapped him on the shoulder, for which I had to stand on my tiptoes.

"Seriously girl," he said, shaking his head, "You're so different from Darryn!"

Darryn? Who was that? Casually, I voiced my question. The response surprised me though. A small smile crept on his face, and he looked down at me. He reached out and brushed a strand of hair off my face, which was the friendliest gesture he'd ever shown.

"He's my son," he replied.

"Oh."

"Yeah. He's a year younger than you but you both are so different yet so similar."

Now, I certainly couldn't understand the in-depth meaning of this wise statement, but I was sure it was something good. So I smiled and nodded, and we continued on our way to goodness knew where.

 **Ciera Keiper (28) D2F**

I didn't know where to hide my face.

Lakely did not leave a single point and described, in great detail, our posture, our actions and our reactions. It was incredibly humiliating for both of us. I remembered that he had tried to give me a peck, acting under some trance. But he'd recovered after I hit him. So... when did this happen?

We'd walked a great distance since she'd woken us up. She also told us that Geoffrey and Jake were the ones to bite the dust. Internally, I heaved a sigh of relief. Had Aiken died, Lakely would have killed me in my sleep.

"We need to find the others," Lakely said as she walked behind the two of us, "Really, we're Careers. We need kills."

"Agreed," Passion said. It was probably the first thing that he had said since being caught. Then he continued, "Girls, I don't think we should leave the cornucopia. There are so many weapons still there."

"You're right. Why don't you go there for now? We'll return after making a kill."

"Okay."

And without wasting a second, he was gone.

Lake and I looked at each other awkwardly before she gave me a nervous smile. I returned it and together we started moving forward again.

"That tree looks funny," I said as I stopped, and pointed at a particular tree. It looked too... clean? And... wait...

There were footsteps here. Way too many of them. Looking at them, I concluded that they were fresh. Maybe one of the tributes was around... but when I peered at the ground near the tree from where I stood, I saw that the footsteps had disappeared abruptly around there.

"Looks like someone covered the footsteps with snow," Lake said.

"Well then, let's get rid of the problem."

And I was serious. This was a good opportunity to take out the treat. Who knew what was hiding here? But I had come to terms with my fate. Id'd have to kill and for that I'd have to betray.

Now was the time.

 **Oxen Bambi (46) D10M**

"Are you sure this is the right way?" Aiken asked, panting, "Seems like a really long walk."

"There's no right way here, kid," I answered, "There's just a way."

"*** this!" she cried out at the top of her voice. Before I could interject, she had already launched her cuss words vocabulary missile. I didn't know whether to be disgusted or to be amused at the kid's word choice. Half of them were words I didn't even know the meaning of.

"I seriously just want this *** to get over!" she said finally, bringing her attack on my ears to a halt.

"You sure can talk politely," I said after ten seconds of silence.

"Ugh! No need to be so cool and calm, old man. I know you feel the same. And you know what? Even Darryn would agree."

Well, there she hit the point. I didn't agree with her word usage but I certainly knew what she was talking about. I was tired if this. I was tired of being a toy of these wretched people. And I was tired of being pushed around. I was so damn tired.

The end of this seemed to be going further away with each passing day and with each canon. It was a challenge to do anything anymore. Honestly, I was lucky Aiken stumbled upon me. I might not have been able to fight off the darkness for long.

"If we both get out of here alive, I'll take you home with me for a holiday," I said suddenly.

"Well," she said and then smiled genuinely, "I'm looking forward to that."

And just when I was about to smile at that, a canon rung.

 **Passion Hart (24) D1M**

I still couldn't get over what I had done. I'd actually tried to first molest Ciera and then I was curled up with her, possibly all night. Feeling disgusted with myself, I couldn't believe that those white swirls had actually made me think of Ciera as my late fiancee Argenta. Even as I thought of her, I couldn't help but feel the tears trickle down. We would've been married, had it not been for an 'accident'. The Capitol never excused the rebels and poor Argenta had to pay the price of my foolhardy. She left nothing behind except her younger sister, my Esmeralda.

People actually thought I was in love with her and I was, in a way a father loves his daughter, a brother loves his sister. Esmeralda was the reason I volunteered and I didn't regret that one bit. Sure, I'd killed quite a lot of people but my girl was safe. My Esmeralda was spared from this trauma.

But the problem was that my ally reminded me too much of Argenta. It wasn't even healthy. They had the same sweetness, the same loyalty and the same cleverness. But how could I fall for her? Over here? I couldn't even promise myself that either of us would get out alive. I had no right to think of a future with her.

I saw that the swirls were here again, the trees beating against the sky in protest. Frowning, I clenched my fists and moved ahead when the wind engulfed me. Bracing myself for more stupidy, I waited for it to take effect but nothing happened. Nothing.

However, I was suddenly sure I should go back. Something was wrong, very wrong. Clutching my sword tightly, I turned to backtrack my steps and got ready to find my allies.

 **Ciera Keiper (28) D2F**

"Ciera stop!"

"Can't, dear."

"Ciera- AAAHHHH!"

Lakely's screams sent a tremor down my body, and I almost stopped it. No... I couldn't. This had to happen. I had to be the one walking out of this alive, not her, not Aiken. Just ME!

I had disarmed her earlier but she still kept up the fight. But now, even as one of my knives was embedded in her thigh, her injured thigh, she tried her best to avoid my attack.

"Ciera please! First let's take down Aiken..."

"No."

"I TRUSTED YOU!" she screamed, tears cascading down her cheeks, her face contorted with pain, "I THOUGHT WE'D TAKE IT TO THE END!"

"WE WOULD!" I screamed back, my own voice hoarse, "But you don't understand that THIS is the end!"

And with that I stooped in front of her, raising my weapon to strike, when something pierced my back and came out straight from my chest. A sword blade...

I screamed in pain and agony. Why did he have to do this?! We were friends! And he- and he betrayed me...

"I-I'm sorry Ciera," Passion whispered, "B-But I c-couldn't let you kill her..."

"You- you stopped me fr-from seeing my daughter, you dog! You'll never g-get to see Esmeralda again..."

And even as my voice weakened, my body slumped forward, and Passion's pathetic snob was all I heard.

 **Rajan "The Reaver" Khan (34) D3M**

It was a good thing I fled when I heard the older girl suddenly attack the younger one. They were Careers and they wouldn't have cared that I was a guy and they need not kill me. Not soon after I left, the canon blasted across the arena, making the very trees tremble.

So the girls had come to final two. Interesting. I just wished that one of the men would kill the other too now. It would be much easier to take down just one of them than two.

The day was turning to be bad.

Quickly drawing my sword, I blocked the mace that had come my way. I couldn't understand how Oxen, being so huge, could hide or even jump for that matter. But it was a very sneaky attack.

Pushing my blade, I threw him off myself and started back towards the way I'd come. There were hiding places in between I could use but this was not a safe place now. Looking behind, I saw that he was following me. He struck again and I jumped out of the way just in time. As I thrusted my sword at him, he leaped back and I continued to run. It was necessary to put distance between us.

Maybe I was too occupied with him but I never noticed that he had an accomplice. She appeared out of nowhere, and brought down her axe hard. I parried with my sword but that's what Oxen had been waiting for. Even as Aiken kept me busy, his mace sliced my neck.

By the time I dropped my sword, I was already seeing everything dim. And by the time I fell I couldn't even feel the pain anymore.

So there it was guys. I was honestly upaet to write this, and so was Red, but it had to come to it. Hope you all enjoyed though. We appreciate your thoughts.

 **Eulogies:**

 **6th- Ciera Keiper: Ciera was honestly a unique character. She was loyal and broken but also had a somewhat fun personality. She cared a lot for her allies but ultimately realized that she had to think of herself. Rest in peace Ciera.**

 **5th- Rajan Khan: Rajan was very cool too. He had the urge to live but was indifferent towards it at the same time. His thirst to know about his country and culture was so novel. I loved him, really, and he was ultimately a true fighter. Rest in peace, you'll be missed.**

 **So, we're in top four. The finale is next guys! I guess it got obvious who'll make it to the final four all along but let me tell you that three chapters ago we had a different final four!**

 **Have a good day guys!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Filler chapter so no deaths. Don't get excited.**

 **Day 3 Part 2**

 **Oxen Bambi (46) D10M**

"I-we killed him..." Aiken whispered. Her face revealed nothing but her hands were trembling. She was recalling the time when she had killed first as a child. That hadn't been a long time back and I feared that she may not take it well.

"You helped me out," I said softly. Why did I think it will lessen her guilt if I said that? No idea at all but I needed to thank her. She had no need to help me but she did anyway, and brought me a step closer to my family.

"Yeah but..." she said uncertainly but then tried for a weak smile, "Of course. You want to get back to your son."

"And take you with me," I said firmly.

"And take me with you," she agreed with a nod that was only half-hearted, "For a holiday."

"Yeah."

The awkwardness remained even as we walked away from Rajan's corpse. Aiken looked so terribly upset and she wasn't even cursing...

"Well," I said in a brighter tone, "If you stay with me for a few days, you'll know that I fear nothing. Not the dark as well."

That got a small laugh from her and she shook her head vigorously. "No, no. You are afraid of the dark. I saw you tremble, old man!"

"It was the cold."

"Was not."

"Was!"

"Wasn't!"

"IT WAS THE COLD!"

"IT WAS NOT THE COLD!"

Her voice went way higher than mine, and so I raised my arms in surrender. Looking pleased with herself, she smirked and set off again, when I whispered, "It was the cold."

"Ugh!" she said, "You're almost fifty and you're *** arguing with me! I'm half your age!"

And now that she had used the golden curse word, I was certain that she was becoming more normal now, and was ready to handle more stuff.

We were in the final four, after all.

Nobody had been announced a winner, hence there was still one guy and one girl left. My opponent was Passion, and I did not underestimate his strength or skills. I was sure that he had the highest number of kills. It wasn't going to be easy for me though, to murder him. After all, he was very young too, a boy at best. Almost half my age. Although his youth gave him an advantage. He was much faster than me. However, his body was naturally weak, and that was where I scored points.

But Aiken, who was her final challenge? Ciera or Lakely? I hoped it wasn't the latter; she was the same age as my Darryn. It wouldn't be easy for me to watch her die. However, in both the cases my support was going to be with Aiken. I had to get her home.

"Are you ready, kiddo?" I asked softly.

"Yes," she replied confidently, "Let's kick up some ***!"

 **Lakely "Lake" Holt (19) D4F**

He... he saved me...?

I watched, wide-eyed, as he pulled out his sword from Ciera's back. He was pretty stoic even on hearing her last words, cursing him to never see Esmeralda, but the next moment he was on his knees, wailing.

"NOOO!" he cried, his eyes turning red and puffy as the tears poured down, his voice dripping with pain, "I-I-I won't get t-to see my g-girl again?! I won't... I won't... I'd deserve it...I'D DESERVE IT!"

"Passion!" I said firmly, in a loud voice, trying to keep the pain out of it, "You'll see her. You will be the male getting out alive!"

"I robbed her daughter of her mother!" he screamed, his voice hoarse and cracked. He took in a deep breath and then pressed his forehead against the ground as he cried. I had no idea why but soon I was crying with him, and then next moment I dragged myself to him and wrapped my arms around him.

"I'm sorry!" I said between my sobs, "I'm so sorry..."

"Not your f-fault... I chose- chose you... ov-over her...!"

I wiped my eyes. I had to stay strong for his sake. For my friend's sake.

"But why? Why did you choose... me?"

"Because I love you, you fool! You remind me of her!"

With that, he dropped his face in his hands, crying quietly.

As for me, I didn't know what to say or how to react. He just confessed it that he... Argenta. So I reminded him of her? Of his dead fiancee?

Without another thought, I threw my arms around him again, enveloping him in a tight embrace.

"Be strong. Be strong. We have to get out of here alive- together. You're getting me? We have to live together."

"W-what?" he asked, perplexed, as he looked up at me. Gently, I wiped the tears from his face and nodded, smiling at him.

"Yes. We have to get out together. And then, we can make a future, our future- together."

My words seemed to work like magic on him. He looked in my eyes for what felt like an eternity, and then kissed me gently on the forehead.

"Definitely," he said, his voice still hoarse, "We have a deal."

"Yes, and now maybe you should help me with this wound. It hurts like hell."

Maybe it was the right thing to get my wound fixed up quickly. Because as soon as I'd finished thanking him and taken one sip of water, I knew trouble was coming.

Both of us took our combat stance, readying ourselves for battle. Our friends had arrived.

 **Aiken Harper (20) D7F**

There were two of them and there were two of us. Face to face. I hadn't seen them since the bloodbath, which was only a couple of days ago but felt like a lifetime. They looked dejected, as if they had given up altogether. Behind them I saw Ciera's corpse. I felt like throwing up now, they were crestfallen for the same reason I was.

Oxen patted my shoulder. The touch gave me a sense of calm and reassurance, something I really needed and appreciated. I flashed a quick smile at him and mouthed the words 'good luck'. He did the same.

Everyone charged.

I wielded my axe well, and when I attacked, I almost took off Lakely's head. The stupid girl ducked just in time, and there went her ponytail on the ground. She spun around, throwing her fist at me. The little sneak had a tiny knife concealed but I dodged. However, I wasn't as good as dodging as she was. Honestly, how did she manage to move so efficiently on snow?

"You're very good," she said as she thrust her knife at me. I kicked at her, smirking in satisfaction when my foot connected with her jaw.

"Well, you're pretty good too. But really, an idiot for volunteering."

"I know," she said genuinely, "I was a fool for doing so."

The answer took me aback and for a moment I couldn't comprehend her move. I ducked at the last moment, and the knife slashed my cheek.

"That was cowardly!" I said furiously.

"Be more attentive then! As I told you, I regret my decision and hence I will do ANYTHING to get back home!"

With that she struck even harder, this time piercing my arm. I cried out in pain, the axe dropping from my hands on the ground with a thud. Soon, she was in top of me, her knife clutched tightly in her hand, her eyes bordering on insanity. I tried to kick her in the belly rather unsuccessfully and then resorted to shoving snow in her face. In the process, she stabbed my shoulder blade hard even as she was temporarily blinded. I howled in pain, my eyes incapable of not being shut, but I pushed her off me and reached out for the axe, holding it dearly. As she came for round two, I slashed the axe on the air, leaving a deep, bleeding cut in her abdomen.

She stumbled just a bit, when I struck again and left a cut on her chest. I kicked her hard so that she was on the ground, and then attacked her injured thigh. At that, she screamed animalistically in pain and agony, and it was too much for me.

Lifting my axe, I got ready for the final blow, when her ally suddenly appeared abd stabbed me with his sword.

 **Passion Hart (24) D1M**

Aiken swayed on her spot for some good three seconds before falling down on her back.

"AIKEN!" Oxen cried in horror as the young girl's life started slipping away, "NO!"

"Oxen... you have to win..."

And that was it. The canon rang out loud and clear.

For a moment there was nothing. Somehow Lake stood up and then stood between me and Oxen, whose eyes were only present for the dead girl.

"I won't let you kill him," she said holding my hand. My own tired, bloody and horribly wounded self was barely able to stand and Oxen was still strong. Yes, he was injured, but he had almost strangled me and I was still out of breath.

"You killed her," he said plainly, "You interfered."

"Yes," I said and nodded, "I did."

"You'll pay for it."

At his golden words, something hit me hard. It was like air currents and electricity combined, and then next moment I was at his feet. Quickly staggering to my feet, I saw that ice walls had erupted around Lakely, even as the sound of trumpets filled the atmosphere. She hit the walls hard, screaming my name, but I knew it was no use.

Especially because my sword was still inside those walls.

The first punch was hard, and this guy had monstrous power. I was literally thrown six feet away, and I was sure my jaw was broken. The fight from before had weakened me, and the charging man appeared really dim now.

I hit him hard too on the torso, and tried to snatch his mace. That was the problem. He was too strong and a kick from him showed me my place.

It was simple, really. I wasn't going to win. He had already stabbed me once and I could feel that I was dying. Even if I beat him, I was beyond help now.

"Just end it... please..."

He stared down at me incredulously, until his eyes fell on my stomach. His gaze softened and I smiled as he produced his mace.

"You shouldn't have had done that."

"I had to," I whispered, "I couldn't let her die."

With a nod, he brought down the mace on my wound.

My shrieks appeared to have scared even him, for he stepped back from me. I turned my head slowly, to see that the ice walls were going back into the ground. When it was considerably lower, I saw Lake jump over it, only to fall on her face. But then she got and came running up to me. To me...

"NO! You can't go! You can't go! You can't GO!"

She dropped on her knees beside me, and slowly started cradling my head, her tears falling on my face. I saw that Oxen had left the site, possibly to check on his dead ally.

"How could you- why did you do it?!" she screamed, "Who told you to save my life?! TWICE!"

I laughed at that, only to cough up blood. Cupping her face with my bloody hand, I smiled at her.

"Will you-you do me a f-favour?"

"Anything Passion!" she cried, "Anything...!"

"Please look after h-her," I whispered. She nodded vigorously at that and then hugged me. I put my arm around her when the announcement happened.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it's an immense honour to present to you the victors if the Hundred and Twentyfifth Annual Hunger Games- LAKELY HOLT FROM DISTRICT FOUR AND OXEN BAMBI FROM DISTRICT TEN!"

"NO!" she screamed, "No you can't! YOU CAN'T!"

But a weak smile was all I could offer her, before my eyes shut and everything went dark forever.

 **Hi guys! I know, I was kidding up there. I just didn't want you all to skip the chapter to the bottom. So what do you think of the finale? And the victors? It's really weird thinking that the Games are actually complete now. You guys gave me immense support, and I cannot thank you enough for that. Despite the late updates you all were always there, encouraging me to continue. Thank you for that.**

 **But my heartiest gratitude goes to my cowriter, who put up with me and helped me get this completed. He really forced me into updating and always had his own parts ready. It wouldn't have been posssible without you, Red. Never. Thank you friend.**

 **And now, the eulogies...**

 **4th- Aiken Harper: Aiken was amazing! Sge was different from all the girls. She was fun and delightful but deep and serious at the same time. It was fun writing her. Rest in peace Aiken, you'll be missed.**

 **3rd- Passion Hart: Okay, Passion was hands down both of our favorite. He was the most different character of this story. A friendly but rebelious Career, he had a good heart. But because we are sadists he had to go. You'll be sorely missed Passion, rest in peace.**

 **VICTOR- Lakely Holt: LAKE! You were brilliant girl! She was, by far, the most detailed, as well as the most developable character. It was a blast writing her. She was a fun character, and really amazing. But now, I doubt she'll be able to really enjoy her victory. Look after Esmeralda though, you made a promise.**

 **VICTOR- Oxen Bambi: Oxen was NEVER going to win. He had a good personality, but we couldn't really figure out who he'll be compatible with. Then Red came up with Aiken and Oxen's alliance and that really showed another side of the big serious man. He was truly brilliant, with his fear of the dark to his stoicness and to the kind heart he had under all of that. And he gets to meet his family so that's a plus.**

 **Congratulations to our victors! And thank you to everyone who read abd participated. Thanks so much guys!**

 **Have a great day and see you soon!**


	18. Chapter 18

There was a pleasant atmosphere in District Ten. Celebrations were high and after a very long time the citizens had won the free grains and food that they deserved. They couldn't stop thanking the man because of whom all this was possible. Suddenly, he wasn't just a forgotten big man but the real hero.

However, a certain man of forty-six just wanted to be left alone in his house. His wife and son were there and that was all that mattered.

"Dad, when should I bring your breakfast up here?" Darryn asked as he hovered by the doorway. Oxen preferred having his breakfast alone in his bed. The son yearned for the day when his father would have breakfast with the family. For as long as he had acquired the ability to remrmber, Darryn had had his first meal of the day with his mother alone.

"No," Oxen said, taking his son by surprise, "I'll come down."

This statement by itself was enough to pull the earth from under Darryn's feet. Dkd he hear correctly? His father would eat with them?

Looking at the bewildered expression on his son's face, Oxen let out a chuckle. This in itself astonished Darryn, but what almost gave him a heart failure was ehen Oxen pulled him in a hug.

For some good five seconds, Darryn was unsure of what to do. Gingerly, he wrapped his arms around his father.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there more, Darryn," Oxen muttered, "But from now on, I will. I couldn't save her but I will be a better father to you."

Darryn wasn't sure why his eyes stung so badly, or why his heart felt so light. All he knew that for the first time in years he could feel the warmth from within. Although he had never met her, he wished Aiken could have made it out alive. Oxen once even said he would have asked her hand for marriage to his son. He wasn't sure about that, but he was certainly sure they could have made good friends. In his heart, he thanked the foul-mouthed girl.

"Dad... a letter came for you... from Seven."

Oxen looked up at his son with wide eyes. Recently, letters from other Districts had been allowed to be sent to victors from other Districts. Fan mail if you must.

Oxen snatched the letter from Darryn's hands and tore it open.

It was from Aiken's mother.

'Dear Oxen,

Congratulations on your victory! Our family thinks you deserve it and we're very happy for you.

But I write this letter to thank you. Thank you for helping my daughter. Thank you for being so nice to her. For years we've been wishing to see her happy. But she never was. Aiken was always angry. She was broken.

But with you, she was happy. After years, I saw the happiness in her eyes that I yearned to see. She considered you her friend and for the first time I saw that she wasn't lonely.

Losing a child is hard. I think you understand. But I am happy that she was happy in her last days.

For that, I thank you.'

Oxen stared at the letter for minutes, hours, he didn't know. Abruptly, he folded the letter carefully and put it in his chest pocket. Near his heart.

"Come Darryn, I have to tell you a lot about Aiken."

* * *

"Honey, you don't have to do this."

"That's where you are wrong, Fonta. I have to do this. I need to."

The man looked sadly at his friend even as she tried to smile at him reassuringly. But it was fake, just as were her laughter and happiness. Fonta had once visited her at night without informing and had found her crying silently on the couch.

Right now, the two of them were in District One's Victor's Village.

Usually, inter-District travels weren't allowed. However, the Capitol had eaten up the story of Lakely Holt and Passion Hart. It wasn't hard to get permits after that and Fonta was allowed because Lake was 'traumatized'.

The girl literally trembled as she raised her hand to ring the doorbell. How would she react? Would she yell? Hit? Curse? Refuse to talk? Anything was okay as long as she didn't hate her. But she couldn't rimg the bell. So Fonta, being a good friend, rang the bell.

It took almost fifteen seconds for the door to open up.

Lake gulped when she saw the girl in front of her. She was short, standing only at five feet two. Her hair was messy and her eyes were puffy and red with dark circles. The two girls just stared at each other for what felt like an eternity. Fonta stepped back from the girls and watched sadly.

"E-E-Esmeralda..." Lake managed to whisper, trying to keep the tears at bay. He had requested her to look after her. She was bound to comply.

But the younger girl raised her hand as if she'd slap Lake. The victor from Four closed her eyes and waited for the smack. She wasn't going to resist and she'd not budge however many times Esmeralda would slap her.

However, the slap never came. Instead, Lake felt someone hugging her tightly. Shocked, she opened her eyes to Esmeralda's sobbing. Slowly, she hugged her too and patted her back.

"Y-you made him h-happy," Esmeralda whispered between sobs, "T-thank you."

"No Esmeralda. Thank YOU for being so strong. I volunteered to prove myself, you know? To show that I was the best. But I would've died had it not been for Passion. I regret volunteering. Had it not been for me, he would be the one here.

"I'm sorry Esmeralda. I'm sorry that for me you lost your only family. Your brother-in-law loved you dearly. He was amazing and it disgusts me that I am here and not he."

"Please don't say th-that!" Esmeralda cried, "He-he loved you and I-I'm so glad he helped you. If he had let y-you die, he wouldn't be able t-to continue living an-anyway!"

"I don't-"

"Please don't say anything. Know that I'm happy that you're alive. I-I look forward to being f-friends with you Lake!"

Fonta smiled at Lakely and nodded at her. Approaching them, he drew them both in a hug and held them tightly. The victors' family was small but they would be there for each other no matter what.

* * *

It was a day before the Victory Tour.

Oxen was sitting on the couch alone. It was a long time now, but he wondered how Lakely would react on seeing him. He wondered how he would react. After all, had Lakely been dead, Aiken would have been alive.

The door opened after ten minutes, and in stepped the now twenty year old girl. Without a word, she sat down in the opposite chair and closed her eyes.

For around ten minutes, neither said a word. Oxen doubted either would. They were pretty much the reason their friends hadn't won.

But Lakely sighed and opened her eyes.

"It will be hard, won't it?" she asked, "Visiting District Seven?"

"It will be," Oxen replied slowly and then sighed, "And I guess One will be the same for you."

"Not as much, to be honest," Lake replied, "I-Esmeralda understands. For me, Two will be the hardest. Ciera... her daughter will be there."

"None is going to be easy."

Another awkward silence. Neither knew what more to say. Hate the other for being alive? Hating themselves for being alive? Feel guilty? Forget about their friends and move on? What were they supposed to do?

"This is weird," Lakely said.

"Too much," Oxen agreed.

"Look, you may hate me-" he began.

"I don't."

"What?"

He looked at her, bewildered, trying to read her. But her face showed what she said.

"I don't. You did what you did to survive. I did so too. In fact, you made it easy for him. You didn't drag it. I should thank you for it."

Oxen stared at her for far too long. Did she mean it? Was she really not angry? In all honesty, he himself did not bear her any grudge. Earlier he did but not anymore.

"That's kind of you, Lakely."

Silence.

"Well, good luck for tomorrow."

"We can- we can be friends..."

Lakely looked up at Oxen, staring in his eyes for a while. A smile broke on her face.

"I'll try, Oxen. I'll try."

 **Not the best epilogue, but we imagined it to go like this. This was the happiest these guys could have. Thank you all so much again for your support and love. This would be incomplete without you all.**

 **It's weird that this has finally ended. It's my first multi-chapter story as well as our first collab and I'm honestly just happy it was completed. All because of you guys!**

 **Thank you so much and have a great day!**


End file.
